Species Type:
Fishes
Common Name(s):
Green moray eel
Size:
The average size of a moray eel is 6 feet (1.8 meters), weighing in at 30 pounds (13.3 kilograms).
Diet:
The green moray eel eats shrimp, fish, crab, and cephalopods like octopus.
Range & Habitat:
In the Gulf of Mexico, western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the green moray eel lives along rocky shorelines, coral reef communities, seagrass beds, mud bottoms and creeks.
Details:
The green moray eel has a dark gray-brown body but appears green due to yellow mucus that protects it from disease and parasites. Lacking pectoral and pelvic fins, it uses its long, slender body to swim. The eel constantly opens and closes its mouth—not to show aggression, but to pump water over its gills for breathing.