Spotted Moray Eels in Hawaii

Spotted moray eel hiding in coral, photographed at the Maui Ocean Center in Hawaii

The number of endemic species of fish in the Hawaiian waters is truly amazing.  Of the 200 or so species of moray eels that exist world-wide, about 80 of them live around Hawaii.  Morays are fish, although they have snake-like bodies.  There are a few interesting facts about these creatures that are worth noting.

Moray eels have a second set of jaws at the back of their throat.  The main jaws (the ones you see in the image above) grab the prey, but the second set of jaws extend forward to help bring the food toward the stomach.  These, called pharyngeal jaws, are well-hidden and not normally visible; I found an interesting video on the subject here.

Moray eels can be poisonous in several ways.  In some species the mucus in the mouth is toxic, but the risk of it causing serious health complications is low if a human is bit.  The greater risk in the bite of a moray is infection related to bacteria present in the fish's mouth.  A bite should be treated aggressively and treated with antibiotics.

A second source of toxins is in the flesh of the eel.  I found a lot of conflicting information on this, but I think it is safe to say that eating moray eels is a bad idea.  The mucus on some morays contains hemagglutinin which may cause paralysis.  The blood of other moray eels contains icthyotoxins that cause hemolysis.   The flesh, and especially the liver, may also contain ciguatoxin that affects nerve transmission.

Spotted moray eels have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell.  They may live up to 20 years of age and attain a length of 40 inches (one meter).

Thanks for reading.    See my poem below.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

That's a moray!

If an eel bites your thigh
and you think you may die,
That's a moray!

If a fish likes to gloat
its got jaws down its throat,
That's a moray!

If toxic blood, flesh, and slime
make you sick all the time,
That's a moray!




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The passing of a generation

Image
Kathryn's mom and dad with our children, Josh and Leanne. A generation, for North America, tends to be between 20 and 30 years.  During that time a couple will give birth and raise children to see them repeat the pattern as they themselves have done.  Each generation has its own set of standards, values, and ideals based upon their experiences and culture, and some of that is passed down to their offspring.  What changes are the life experiences of the following generation and the new customs and ideals that are blended together as a couple becomes a family. Kathryn's mom passed away a few days ago, she was predeceased by her husband several years ago.  Both of them were the grandparents of my children, the mother and father of my wife, Kathryn.  It was my pleasure to know them and to love them as my own, for to me they were Mom and Dad.  And they were there to welcome my children into the world just as my children were with them in spirit when they left it.   We ourselves have
Read more

Hang in there, things will get better.

Image
The Svendsen Family - Eric, Samuel, Leanne, Joshua (top row), Nora, Kathryn, Chanelle, Emma If I could go back, in my mind, to a day in my life when I was really down, it would be nice to be able to see into the future.  If could see things as they are today, with the many blessings that have been given to me, it would give me hope knowing that things wouldn't always be so discouraging.   The message here is we do not know what the future holds.  When things are bad, it is hard to raise your head out of the mire to see beyond the darkness.  There are no guarantees, of course, that things will be better, but I think it is true that fortunes ebb and flow as tides do.  The trick is to see beyond the low points and not be too haughty during the high ones.  I know that, at this moment, things are very good.  What the future holds is unknown, but low and high points are likely in the forecast.   This is why taking satisfaction from the moment is so important.  Instead of looking forward
Read more

Northern Rough winged swallow

Image
Northern Rough Winged Swallow - a new species for me. There are a number of bird groups that I find hard to identify species in.  The ones that immediately spring to mind are gulls and flycatchers. The key to identifying a bird species is to look for morphology clues such as size and colour.  Particular features such as beak and leg form will often help you to identify a bird to at least the family level.  Beyond that, you need specifics such eye rings, breast pattern, wing or tail bars, and so on.  Habitat, behaviour, and location may also play a role in identification. In the example above, my thinking is that the bird is a flycatcher.  It doesn't fit any of the patterns for the swallows we have here.  There is no eye ring, no crest, and the bird is has a buff-coloured breast without a pattern and a brownish-coloured back, sides, and wings.  There are no wing or tail bars.  It is also small in size.  This leads me to believe it is either a pewee or phoebe.   Given the fact that I
Read more