If you thought that eels were just elongated slimy predators with a big toothy mouth, you are mostly right. Mostly except for that second set of jaws that many members of anguilliformes have developed from modified gill arches. The adaptation apparently is derived from a lack of suction produced by the simple opening of an eel’s mouth. Keep a close eye on the fellow in the above video for a brief glimpse of the Aliens movie flashback where this jeweled moray extends it’s inner jaws to pull the food item deeper into it’s mouth. Who knew that eels could be so creepy? Oh wait. . . it’s an eel.
Moray eel’s second jaws take a note from Aliens
Jake Adams
Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid 90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and has been the managing editor of ReefBuilders.com since 2008. Jake is interested in every facet of the marine aquarium hobby from the concepts to the technology, rare fish to exotic corals, and his interests are well documented through a very prolific career of speaking to reef clubs and marine aquarium events, and writing articles for aquarium publications across the globe. His primary interest is in corals which Jake pursues in the aquarium hobby as well as diving the coral reefs of the world.
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