Biting technique moray eel

03oktober2007
Source: nrc.nl
Moray eels can be found mainly in subtropical waters. They are predators and often hide in crevices. They have been known to bite the fingers of divers, when they enter the crevice. But when the animals are left alone, they will not attack, but rather hide from humans.
A whole new biting technique has been discovered in moray eels. Moray eels have two pairs of jaws, just like many other kinds of fish. The front jaws are called outer jaws and the back jaws are called pharyngeal jaws. The pharyngeal jaws can come forward in order to grab a prey and bring it back for swallowing. This way, moray eels can grasp relatively large prey. First, the prey is grabbed with the outer jaws. Then the pharyngeal jaws reach forward and get hold of the prey. The outer jaws let loose, and the pharyngeal jaws bring the prey back. Then the outer jaws take over again, etcetera. This way, the prey is shoved into the gullet.

This technique was never seen in vertebrates before. Biologists Rita Mehta and Peter Wainwright of California University in Davis have discovered the phenomenon, and they have made it public in the science magazine Nature.