One of the Most Dangerous Sea Creatures (4 photos)

I do not recommend that you encounter this predator.





There are more than 100 species of moray eels in the world and most of them are very aggressive, but one of the most aggressive is the Saber-toothed moray eel.

It is not difficult to guess that this moray eel got its name for its sharp, saber-like teeth, which easily cut through pieces of meat.

The Saber-toothed moray eel lives in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, near the shores of West Africa. But most often it is found near the Canary Islands and off the coast of Madeira.



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The saber-toothed moray eel grows up to 1.2 meters in length. The elongated body of the moray eel is covered with dark spots, which help it camouflage itself among the rocks.

The moray eel spends most of its life in the crevices of rocks, hiding and waiting for a victim to swim by. Fortunately for people, these predators are nocturnal, and during the day they simply sleep in their shelter. But if you suddenly disturb it, rest assured that it will attack you without warning.

As a rule, once a moray eel grabs its prey, it does not let go, so it can easily tear off a piece of flesh from a careless swimmer.

Like other moray eels, the saber-toothed moray eel has an internal jaw like the xenomorph from the movie Alien. Having grabbed its prey, the hungry predator pushes its food into the esophagus with the help of the pharyngeal jaw.





The moray eel's main diet includes fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. The long teeth of the moray eel seem fragile at first glance, but in fact they easily break the shells of crabs and mollusks.

Sometimes moray eels are caught by fishermen, since in some African countries their meat is considered a juicy delicacy. But despite the catch, they are not in danger of extinction due to their good survivability and high birth rate.

During the breeding season, the female releases thousands of eggs directly into the water, after which the current carries them throughout the ocean. Small moray eels immediately begin an independent life after birth, and after 5 years they reach sexual maturity. In total, moray eels live about 10 years.