Giant Moray

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

Giant morays inhabit every section of the Matemo Wall, with large adults — some exceeding 2 metres in length — occupying the widest crevices in the wall's deeper overhangs and regularly visible with their heads protruding into open water. These apex reef predators are important regulators of fish community structure on the wall, and their high density at Matemo reflects the site's exceptional prey availability. Cleaner wrasse stations surrounding the largest morays' dens see continuous activity, with the morays adopting a wide-open mouth posture to facilitate cleaning of their gill chambers and oral mucosa.