20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Alienesque Pharyngeal Jaws

A white mouth moray eel pokes out of its rocky shelter, mouth agape. Whitemouth morays have what’s known as pharyngeal jaws, which means they have their front row of teeth that we see in the image, and then a second pair go jaws in their throat. This extra pair of jaws pulls prey into their bodies.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Lanai, HA, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS 80D
Copyright: © Abigail Dahl