Despite it’s ferocious appearance, the Moray eel isn’t as nasty as it looks.

For one thing, the constant opening and closing of the mouth is not an attempt to intimidate or scare you off, but merely the eel [which is really a fish]‘s way of drawing water into its mouth and through its gills.

Secondly, although I’ll confess I’m not about to rush out and test this hypothesis, rumor has it that Moray eels love to be stroked and, in some cases, can be coaxed out of their lairs for this purpose.

So, again, it’s a case of a marine animal’s appearance, determined by evolution and adaptation, making it appear much fiercer than it really is.

Would I stick my hand in it’s mouth to prove this? Probably not!