Mediterranean moray

Photo: Sylvain Le Bris · CC BY-NC

The Mediterranean moray eel occupies rock crevices and cave entrances from the intertidal zone to well over 60 m depth. Its reputation for aggression is exaggerated — the constant gaping that exposes fangs is simply breathing. As nocturnal hunters of fish and octopus, morays play a key scavenger and predator role on Mediterranean rocky reefs, and their burrow-maintenance keeps crevice habitats open for a wide range of invertebrates.