A moray has a long, snake-like body. Moray eels live in tropical seas, on coral reefs and rocky reefs. As of November 2026, scientists count about 200 species.

The green moray lives in the western Atlantic Ocean. It lives from New Jersey and Bermuda to the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. The California moray lives along the Pacific coast. It lives from Point Conception, California, south to Magdalena Bay, Baja California.

Morays come in many sizes. As of November 2026, these sizes are reported. The giant moray is reported to reach about 3 meters long. It can weigh up to 30 kilograms. The green moray can reach 2.5 meters and weigh up to 29 kilograms. The California moray can grow to about 5 feet, or 1.5 meters. Morays range from about 20 centimeters, the redface eel, to 3.75 meters, the longtail moray.

A moray has no scales. It keeps opening and closing its mouth. This moves water over its gills so it can breathe.

A green moray is really dark brown. Yellow slime on its skin makes it look green. The slime helps protect it from parasites. Red rock shrimp clean a California moray's skin of dead skin and parasites.

Most moray eels hunt at night. Smell is a moray's strongest sense. It uses smell to find food. Morays eat fish, octopuses and crustaceans. Unlike many fish, a moray cannot pull in prey with strong suction. It has a second set of jaws in its throat. It can also tie its body into a knot to get leverage when it eats.

A moray can swim backward almost as well as forward. This helps it back into a crevice. A moray often hides in a crack in the rocks with only its head showing. A giant moray lives alone in a hole in the reef.

Morays lay eggs. A baby moray is a see-through, leaf-shaped larva called a leptocephalus. A young moray first drifts in open water as a larva. Then it settles near the bottom. Some moray species are thought to live about 30 years or more. That is how a moray eel grows from an egg to an adult.

Words to know

• larva: young form
• leptocephalus: moray larva
• suction: pulling force
• crevice: narrow crack