Mouth Breathing Moray Eel | Nautilus Live

While diving on Manu’a Ridge volcanic ridge between the islands of Taʻu and Olosega in American Samoa, we came across this Gymnothorax spp. moray eel. These patterned fish are known for their unique looks and ambush hunting tactics. Moray eels have pharyngeal jaws, a second set that helps them grab prey like fish or crustaceans. Don’t be fooled by the potentially scary look of this sea creature; they keep their mouths open to pass water over the gills to breathe. Talk about a mouth-breather! On this dive the team flew the ROV from our normal deep sea exploration depths all the way up to the ridge top and into the mesophotic where sunlight penetrates the clear tropical waters. At every depth, the ocean is home to spectacular biodiversity. The E Mamana Ou Gataifale II expedition (NA165) is led by Ocean Exploration Trust and funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Uncrewed Systems Operations Center, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management via th