The mucus is thought to provide the eel with protection from bacteria and discourage parasites. Instead, eels have very tough, thick skin that is covered with slimy mucus. To solve that problem, these remarkable creatures have evolved to have a second set of pharyngeal jaws that are brought to the front of the eel’s mouth to grab food and drag it into the body.Įels don’t have scales. Thanks to their narrow head, eels are unable to generate sufficient pressure to swallow prey. Although often taken to be an aggressive or threatening stance, a Moray’s mouth is almost always gaping open so that the fish can circulate water through its gills, enabling the eel to breathe. Moray eels have very poor eyesight, relying on an acute sense of smell to detect prey. Unlike most fish, Morays don’t have pectoral and pelvic fins, having a long dorsal fin that runs from the base of the head to the tail where it joins the anal and caudal fins. That makes this variety of Moray look exactly like a ripe banana that you see in your local grocery store.Īll Morays have a characteristic appearance, with beady eyes, a huge mouth full of sharp teeth, and a long, snake-like body. AppearanceĪs their name suggests, the Banana eel is bright yellow from head to tail with black markings along the top part of the body, including the dorsal fin. After the Dwarf Moray eel, the Banana eel is the second smallest variety of Moray. Wild specimens can grow to a length of around two feet, although most tank-kept eels don’t reach that size. Moray eels ( Muraenidae) all belong to the Anguilliformes family of fish.Īlso known as Golden Banana Moray eels, these spectacular creatures are found living around the reefs off the South American coast. What is a banana eel?īanana eels, scientific name gymnothorax miliaris, are one of 200 species of Moray eels and is thought to be the rare yellow form of the Fire Coral eel. In this comprehensive guide, we take a closer look at how to care for one of these monsters of the deep in your home aquarium. However, if you are an experienced hobbyist, and you’re looking for something different, one of these unusual, eye-catching creatures might be worth considering if you can find one available to buy. An eel might not be your first choice when it comes to choosing a new fish for your marine tank.
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