#moray eels

[morayeelfan]

this is one of my all time favourite moray eel videos

[saikira999]

Help the unfortunate eel...😰

[fried-rice-cake]

I've been so obsessed with these silly freaks + their human forms as well (w/ my personal hcs hehehe)

[uncharismatic-fauna]

The Riveting Ribbon Eel

The ribbon eel, also known as the blue ribbon eel, the leaf-nosed moray eel or the bernis eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita) is a species of moray eel distributed throughout the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Ocean. They are often found in warm lagoons and sandy or rocky areas near coral reefs. They are seldom seen at depths greater than 57 m (187 ft).

Leaf-nosed moray eels spend most of their time in burrows or rocky crevices, waiting for small fish and crustaceans to come close enough to ambush. They are active mainly during the day, but even then they don't often venture out into the open unless they have to. R. quaesita has a few natural predators, including other moray eels and groupers. Unlike their more famous cousins the giant moray, they don't have a very strong bite, so they avoid being eaten mainly by hiding. Thanks to their unique, tube-shaped nostrils they also have excellent senses of smell.

Blue ribbon eels are characterised by their extremely long, thin bodies. Adults have up to 255 vertebrae, making them one of the longest known eels in the world. Males range from 65 to 94 cm (26 to 37 in) in length, while females can reach up to 130 cm (51 in). Males and females are also differentiated by their color; males are striped blue and yellow, while females are completely yellow from head to tail.

R. quaesita are protandrous, which means they all intially develop as male, and transition to female as they get older and larger- typically starting their transition around 1 m (39 in) in length. Little is known about when they reproduce, but when males and females do decide to mate they release sperm and eggs into the water where they fertilize. The females will only do this once, and they die within a month of reproduction. The larvae drift in the currents until they settle on the ocean bed and develop into black juveniles. It can take several years for them to become fully mature, and adults in the wild may live up to 20 years.

Conservation status: Ribbon eels are considered Least Concern by the IUCN. Those that live near coral reefs may be threatened by coral bleaching and damage. Capture for the pet trade is also a threat, as those held in captivity tend to die quickly and breeding is difficult.

Photos

Erik Schlögl

Lawrence T

Bernard Dupont

[seagulltheseawing]

does anyone else like moray eels here? here’s one of my ocs. He has a tie but he’s not wearing it here

[king-incarnadine]

In a Brilliant Blaze

(A White-Edged Moray and His Meteor Shower) Version 2

[spltlvlhous]

[polyanka4]

The Leech twils with their mouths open

So, for those of you who have read the jade x reader or floyd x reader fanfictions with the leech brothers opening their mouths in the context of a declaration of love. I was wondering if in real life moray eels actually do this to choose their mate, and here's what I found.

NOTHING

THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT

Moray Eels open their mouths not because they're asking for permission to mate, but because that's how they breathe. Moray Eels have small gills that are hidden in narrow crevices. To circulate water through their gills and breathe, they constantly open and close their mouths. This gives them a "furious" or "asking" appearance, but in reality, they're just breathing. They literally swim with their mouths open at all times.

Mating occurs in a different way. Moray eels do not form permanent pairs; they do not form “families.”

During the mating season, the female swims to shallow water, lays eggs and swims away. Later, males arrive at the laying site, fertilize the eggs, and also leave them.

Moray eels themselves are mysterious marine predators, whose reproductive biology remains poorly understood due to their secretive lifestyle, so it could easily be a myth that they open their mouths in order to choose a partner. I'm literally imagining this scene.

Moray eels: *breathe*

Scuba diver: "Oh my God, predatory fish open their mouths without attacking each other. It's definitely love!"

But I don't think this rule should apply to twisted wonderland, because I like this theme. After all, it's a completely different universe, and it's magical, with different laws of nature.

Изменено: Комментарий подтвердил, что мурены открывают пасть во время брачного танца. Прошу прощения, пусть это останется здесь.