Q:I'm not sure if it applies to one specific species of eels or all of them, but did you know that they have a second pair of jaws deep in their throat? When they bite down on their prey the second pair of jaws launches from the back of the throat and drags the prey deep into the throat of the eel. The "aliens" movie got there design from them.
ahh yeah the pharyngeal jaws ! theres actually a BUNCH of fish that have a little pair of em inside, but youre right in that moray eels specifically have a pair that are SUPER mobile compaired to other fish
whats amazing is just how FAR BACK they are when not in use - cichlid fish are also pretty well known for em, in that they have a less impressive set that works mainly the same way !
These angelic images are of baby eels, also known as leptocephali. Figures A and F show moray eel leptocephali. Don’t they look just like mommy?
Leptocephali are almost totally see-through. They have colorless blood, and their bodies are composed mostly of a transparent, gelatinous material that serves as both energy storage and structural support (since they’re just so damn frail).
Despite their fragile appearance, leptocephali are actually pretty good swimmers. They exhibit the highly efficient anguilliform swimming style, suited for long-term, slow swimming.
Depending on the species, eels may remain in this larval stage for as long as 250 days, before undergoing metamorphosis.
After metamorphosis, they grow into juveniles, then into the fully-mature adult eels we know and love. *tear*
Anonymous
