Giant Moray-Gymnothorax javanicus

[Reticulatus]

GIANT MORAY-Gymnothorax javanicus



Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Muraenidae
Genus: Gymnothorax
Species: G. javanicus
Binomial name
Gymnothorax javanicus
(Bleeker, 1859)


The giant moray is the largest of the Moray eels,[1] in terms of body mass (the slender giant moray is longer).

Range
The giant moray is widespread in the Indo-Pacific region, being found in the Red Sea and East Africa, the Pitcairn group, north to the Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands, south to New Caledonia, Fiji and the Austral Islands.

Description
As the name suggests, this is a large eel, reaching up to 300 cm (10.0 ft) in length and 30 kg (66.1 lbs) in weight. While juveniles are tan in colour with large black spots, adults have black specks that grade into leopard-like spots behind the head and a black area surrounding the gill opening.


Diet
Primarily crustaceans.

Habitat
Prague sea aguariumFound in lagoons and seaward reefs.

Hazards
This species may be hazardous to people in two ways:

Being at the top of the food chain it is likely to cause ciguatera poisoning if eaten.
It has been implicated in provoked and unprovoked attacks on scuba divers.
References1.^ a b c d Lieske, E. and Myers, R.F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2
2.^ a b c Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Gymnothorax javanicus" in FishBase. 5 2006 version.
3.^ Siliotti, A. (2002) fishes of the red sea Verona, Geodia ISBN 88-87177-42-2

[Venomous Dragon]

I thought this vid was really cool.

[Felis Rex]

Pharyngeal jaws are a "second set" of jaws contained within an animal's throat, or pharynx, distinct from the primary (oral) jaws. They are believed to have originated as modified gill arches, in much the same way as oral jaws.
Although approximately 30,000 species of fishes are known to have pharyngeal jaws, in many species having their own teeth, the most notable example of animals possessing them is the moray eels of the family Muraenidae. Unlike those in other fishes known to have them, those of the moray are highly mobile. This is possibly a response to their inability to swallow as do other fishes by creating a negative pressure in the mouth, perhaps induced by their restricted environmental niche (burrows). Instead, when the moray bites prey, it first bites normally with its oral jaws, capturing the prey. Immediately thereafter, the pharyngeal jaws are brought forward and bite down on the prey to grip it; they then retract, pulling the prey down the moray eel's gullet, allowing it to be swallowed