Mediterranean moray
Muraena helena
- Scientific name
- Muraena helena
- Group
- Reef fish
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Least concern
Did you know?
Often seen with its mouth wide open, the Mediterranean moray isn't being aggressive — that motion simply pumps water over its gills so it can breathe. It has a second set of jaws in its throat that it can project forward to grab prey.
What defines this group — Reef fish
The bony fish that live against coral and rock: the living backdrop of almost every dive.
- A bony skeleton, scales, and a rigid gill cover closing over the gills.
- A swim bladder acts as a float: they hold their depth without swimming.
- Many change colour, pattern — sometimes even sex — over the course of their life.
Other species in this group
- Ocellaris clownfish
- Blue tang
- Red lionfish
- Spot-fin porcupinefish
- Clark's anemonefish
- Picasso triggerfish