9 Beautiful But Deadly Sea Creatures

By Peter Austin /

8. Moray Eel

Eels aren€™t exactly well known for their beauty but there€™s no denying that a select few species of moray are the most fabulous creatures in the ocean. Take a look at this guy for example. It€™s notoriously difficult to rock leopard print without looking like mutton dressed as lamb but some people have just got €˜it€™. In truth though, despite the flashy paint job, these creatures wouldn€™t make the best fashion accessory or handbag dog replacement. Moray eels have a horrendously nasty bite that has been known to sever the fingers and thumbs of divers countless times. Things aren€™t helped by a natural instinct to pull back when a creature latches onto you. Moray teeth don€™t let go as easily as one might expect (the mouth has to be literally pried off) and so yanking your hand away is probably going to do more damage than good. There is even some evidence to suggest that moray bites are toxic to varying extents between species. Like the blue dragon, some types of eel are capable of eating other venomous sea life and retaining the toxins for themselves to use as a defence. There are also some varieties of moray whose mouths produce anticoagulant chemicals like the crown of thorns starfish, preventing the victim€™s wound from clotting effectively. The moray eel's biggest claim to fame though is the scene from Jaws where everyone compares scars, with Hooper claiming that one bit right through his wetsuit. The royalties for a role in that movie are probably what€™s paying for all that leopard print.