Eels and morays migrate (MY-grayt), or move from one place to another, for spawning. They swim by means of wavy side-to-side movements of the body and fins. They also can swim backward, which allows them to retreat rapidly into their burrows when threatened. Eels and morays use external fertilization (FUR-teh-lih-zay-shun), or the joining of egg and sperm outside the body to start development. The…
Physical characteristics: American eels have snakelike bodies covered with thick slime. Males grow to 5 feet (1.5 meters) and females to 4 feet (1.2 meters). These eels weigh as much as 16 pounds (7 kilograms). American eels have 103 to 111 vertebrae. Geographic range: American eels live in the western Atlantic Ocean, the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico. Habitat: At sea …
Physical characteristics: Green morays grow to 8 feet (2.4 meters) in length and weigh as much as 64 pounds (29 kilograms). Green morays are green to dark grayish green all over. The green color comes from the combination of yellow slime on dark blue skin. Geographic range: Green morays live throughout the western and eastern Atlantic and the eastern Pacific Oceans. Habitat: Green morays live at t…
Physical characteristics: Slender giant morays are the longest of the eels and morays, reaching 13 feet (4 meters). These morays are brownish gray on top and paler on the bottom. Geographic range: Slender giant morays live in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Habitat: Slender giant morays live on the muddy bottoms of coastal waters, including bays and rivers. Diet: Slender giant morays eat cr…
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