Fangtooth Moray Eel

Scientific NameEnchelycore anatina
Common Name(s)Fangtooth moray eel, Tiger moray eel
OriginMediterranean, East Atlantic
Temperature Range15-28°C
Water Parametersapproximately 10-200 feet
Adult Size110-120cm
DietShrimp and other small crustaceans, fish that are smaller in size

Fanthooth Moray Facts:

1.  The Fangtooth Moray Eel is named for its mouthful of fang-like teeth which happen to be semi-transparent.

2. This creature is sometimes known as the Tiger Moray Eel because of its yellow and black coloration.

3. The Fangtooth Moray has frequently been photographed with a White Striped Cleaner Shrimp hard at work in its mouth. The two species appear to have a working relationship where the shrimp cleans the eel’s mouth of food scraps and parasites.

Fangtooth Moray Overview:

The fearsome looking Fangtooth Moray is really not much of a threat to humans. There are certainly cases of humans receiving a nasty bite from these eels but those were usually incidents when it was provoked. Like most eels, the Fangtooth Moray is generally peaceful when humans are around so long as it is not startled or made to feel threatened.

The Fangtooth Moray prefers to spend most of its time hiding among rocks and waiting for some tasty small fish or crustaceans to swim by. Considered to be fairly common in the Atlantic Ocean, one Fangtooth Moray was captured in the south-eastern Agean Sea, leading researchers to wonder if these eels are expanding their territory.

This eel’s namesake feature, the teeth, is arranged in two rows within the mouth. The outer row contains the larger teeth which can grow to be about an inch long. These teeth are spaced between several slightly smaller teeth. The inner row of teeth are very sharp which is necessary with a diet of crustaceans.

Posted on August 19, 2014 and filed under Saltwater Fish.