Russell took this photo of a Moray eel on a recent diving trip – even when
on holiday he is a dentist at heart! Notice the cleaner shrimp safely working away at removing parasites
from the eel’s mouth.
Moray’s have a second ‘pharyngeal jaw’, which launches into their mouth when feeding, and then pulls the prey back into the throat and digestive system. They are the only fish to have this unique anatomy.
The Moray eel may often be presented as a vicious villain, but in reality they shy away from human contact. Russell says he can relate to the Moray, as he has spent his career trying to change people’s view of his profession, and to convince them of how undeserving dentists are of their fearsome reputation!
