Broadbanded moray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Broadbanded moray |
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The broadbanded moray (scientific name: Channomuraena vittata) is a special kind of moray eel. It's quite rare and lives in coral reefs. People also call it the banded moray, Chinese moray, double-ended moray, or long-jawed moray.
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All About the Broadbanded Moray
What Does It Look Like?
The broadbanded moray is a big, strong eel. It can grow up to 150 centimeters (about 5 feet) long! But usually, they are around 80 centimeters (about 2.5 feet). It has thick, smooth skin that makes mucus. This helps it slide through the water.
This moray eel has small eyes right at the front of its short snout. It also has a very large jaw with many sharp, short teeth. This jaw extends far back into its head. What's super cool is that it has a second jaw! This "pharyngeal jaw" is deeper in its throat. It helps the moray grab food and pull it down.
You can tell a broadbanded moray apart by its small head and eyes placed forward. Its lower jaw sticks out past its upper jaw. Plus, it has 13 to 16 dark stripes or bands all over its body.
Where Does It Live?
This amazing eel lives in different parts of the world. You can find it in the Atlantic Ocean, near islands like Ascension and Bermuda. It also lives in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
In the Indo-Pacific Ocean, you can find it near Reunion, Mauritius, and the Hawaiian Islands. It also lives around Palau and parts of Indonesia.
Its Home and Habits
The broadbanded moray loves to live in rocky reefs and coral reefs. It's a bottom-dwelling creature, meaning it stays close to the seafloor. This eel looks and moves a lot like a snake!
It's a shy animal that usually lives alone. You'll often find it hiding under ledges or in holes on the outer parts of reefs. It's also nocturnal, which means it's most active at night.
These eels usually live in water from 5 to 100 meters deep. But they are most often found around 40 meters deep.
What Does It Eat?
Scientists are still learning about the broadbanded moray. We don't know much about what it eats yet! Since it's a newly studied species, there's still a lot to discover.
How Does It Have Babies?
Most moray eels travel long distances to lay their eggs in open water. The male then fertilizes the eggs outside the female's body. However, we don't know the exact details for the broadbanded moray. They are quite hard to find and study!
Why Is It Important?
Sometimes, local fishermen catch these eels for food. They are also sometimes caught for the aquarium trade. This means some people want to keep them in large fish tanks.
Protecting the Broadbanded Moray
Right now, there aren't many big threats to this species. The main impacts come from local fishing and the aquarium trade. There are no special rules just for protecting the broadbanded moray yet.
However, the IUCN Red List (a group that checks how endangered animals are) says it is a species of "Least Concern." This means it's not currently at high risk of disappearing.
