Photo of the Week: April 05, 2010

Hi Gang!

This week’s POTW is a shot of a moray eel from Hawaii. This moray is known to laymen by two common names, the yellowmargin moray and the yellow-edged moray. Biologists know the species as Gymnothorax flavimarginatus. No matter what you call it, this species is one of the larger and more commonly encountered of the more than 40 species of morays that occur in Hawaiian waters.

Yellowmargin morays are reported to reach a length of four feet. Yellowmargins are commonly encountered in reef communities in relatively shallow water, but they are known to occur in areas that are almost 500 feet deep. Yellowmargin morays are believed to feed primarily on a variety of relatively small bony fishes and crustaceans.

Like other morays, yellowmargin eels have a somewhat threatening appearance. As divers we usually just see their head in the opening of a crack or crevice in the reef. The mouth of yellow margin morays is filled with a number of needle-sharp, canine-like looking teeth, and, of course, the mouth is often slightly open to wide open, meaning as divers we catch at least a glimpse of their imposing, pearly whites

While the teeth and powerful looking jaws make a strong impression, especially on inexperienced divers, experienced divers are well aware that the opening and closing of the mouth is usually not a threat of any kind, but instead is part of the act of respiration. Morays lack the hard gill plates that are used to help create suction so that oxygen-rich water can be washed over and through the gill tissues in most bony fishes. But, like all animals, morays still need to acquire oxygen. To help solve that need, moray eels use the opening and closing of their mouth as a bellows-like pump to pull oxygen-rich water over their gill tissues.

Just the same, when I see that big head, open mouth and all of those sharp teeth, I can’t help but think of the words to an old Dean Martin song that goes as follows:

There’s a thing on the reef, with big shiny teeth- it’s a moray;

If he’s big and he’s mean, and he’s slimy and green- it’s a moray;

Put your hand in a crack and you won’t get it back; it’s a moray….

I always laugh to myself as the words careen around in my head, but I admit, I often hear the tune and sing the song as I am composing a frame of a moray eel.

Two things are a little unusual about this week’s POTW. One, the eel’s entire body from head to tail was exposed while the eel was at rest in the reef, and two, I had the right lens on for the shot that came to mind. I was using a Nikon 12 to 24 zoom in the hopes of photographing a green turtle getting cleaned by tangs and other fishes, when I came across this perfectly posed yellowmargin moray. No doubt, luck was with me and I did my best to take advantage of my good fortune.

I hope you enjoy this week’s POTW!

See you next week,

Marty