Animal
Zebra moray
While some morays have sharp, pointed teeth for grabbing fishes, this moray has flat, platelike teeth for crunching hard shells.
Not on view at the Aquarium
Yellow-headed jawfish live in patches of sand and coral rubble around the edges of reefs. With no place to hide in these open areas, jawfish dig in, building burrows into the sand. When danger threatens, they dive for cover into their burrow. When the coast is clear, they hover over their burrows waiting to snap up small animals that drift by on the currents.
Up to 4 inches (10 cm)
Small fishes, krill
On coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic
Other jawfishes; Family: Opistognathidae
Always industrious, jawfish keep their burrows shaped up. They line the entrance with rocky rubble so it won't cave in, and they're forever shoveling out mouthfuls of sand. They sometimes raid a neighbor's burrow for choice pebbles and shells.
Coral reefs around the world are in danger. Silt (fine soil) smothers coral when it washes off the land from farm fields, roads and building sites. More towns and resorts near shore mean more sewage, oil and chemicals in the water. Global warming and changes in weather patterns create conditions that corals can't survive.
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Animal
While some morays have sharp, pointed teeth for grabbing fishes, this moray has flat, platelike teeth for crunching hard shells.
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