# What kind of eel is this? (Is it even a real animal?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2011, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547 "2011-04-24T11:03:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/21 "2011-04-25T00:42:18Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’d say it’s a real eel but photoshopped. [Here’s another angle of the same eel](http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/Mirrondowar/creepyeel2.jpg). You can see its eyes seem to be pushed forward and facing each other, which is really quite a freaky mutation. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/22 "2011-04-25T00:43:58Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Plus no love by Deano. You mean [Sammy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jg7wFHWXT4)? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/23 "2011-04-25T00:49:26Z")
If a bouillabaisse you 'd prepare Or for Murène grillée you must swear There’s a [moray](http://www.peche2caps.net/recettes-p2capiennes/comment-preparer-des-murenes-t5570.html) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/24 "2011-04-25T01:54:08Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > [Here’s another angle of the same eel](http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/Mirrondowar/creepyeel2.jpg). You can see its eyes seem to be pushed forward and facing each other, which is really quite a freaky mutation. Wow. Weird-looking thing, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/25 "2011-04-25T02:07:35Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > You mean [Sammy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jg7wFHWXT4)? Nope. See [vid](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS6-b7CONDI), which I think is from the movie, and [wik](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That%27s_Amore_%28song%29). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/26 "2011-04-25T02:11:53Z")
Ah. You were talking about that song. I was going for the one that more closely matches the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/27 "2011-04-25T02:39:59Z")
🙂 OK. What kind of fool am I. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/28 "2011-04-25T03:01:19Z")
Restaurant critic, on trying deep-fried eels for the first time: “Oh tempura! Oh morays!” ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/29 "2011-04-25T03:03:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Restaurant critic, on trying deep-fried eels for the first time: “Oh tempura! Oh morays!” ♫ If you knew sushi like I know sushi ♫ ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/30 "2011-04-25T03:05:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Restaurant critic, on trying deep-fried eels for the first time: “Oh tempura! Oh morays!” 😃 and on thread… ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/31 "2011-04-25T03:14:05Z")
Something’s fishy around here… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/32 "2011-04-25T03:33:50Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > [Here’s another angle of the same eel](http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/Mirrondowar/creepyeel2.jpg). You can see its eyes seem to be pushed forward and facing each other, which is really quite a freaky mutation. Looking at it again, I’m not sure if the eyes are facing each other. I was fooled by the camera flash light. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/33 "2011-04-25T04:06:53Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Restaurant critic, on trying deep-fried eels for the first time: “Oh tempura! Oh morays!” Salmon chanted evening! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/34 "2011-04-25T04:26:43Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > It really is a moray eel. I’ve seen that picture before, the eel looks weird because the face is viewed at almost completely head on. It’s bent at about a third of the way up it’s body and is facing the camera head on. The black dent is a … OK I don’t know what it is. [Here’s](http://www.reefseekers.com/PIXPAGES/Socal%20%28general%29/Moray_eel.jpg) another angle of a moray. The black dent is an ear or something. Whatever it is, it is also present on your link. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/35 "2011-04-25T04:41:05Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > The black dent is a … OK I don’t know what it is. > [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > The black dent is an ear or something. Whatever it is, it is also present on your link. It’s the opening to the gill chambers (morays don’t have normal gill covers). Fish don’t have ears (at least in the sense of terrestrial vertebrates). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/36 "2011-04-28T03:01:00Z")
It looks like a hand sock puppet to me. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/37 "2011-04-28T04:15:00Z")
Here’s a head shot of his [more ornery cousin](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.mlive.com/minorityreport/2008/08/large_lamprey-chronicle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.mlive.com/minorityreport/2008/08/lampreys_suck.html&usg=__ppsgLuzb2D-TzBkQ-2Qn7ExqfYU=&h=593&w=453&sz=197&hl=en&start=30&zoom=1&tbnid=KmBJA8Zo8h5WFM:&tbnh=159&tbnw=125&ei=Mem4TcD0Mcz0gAfXw6Bc&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dlamprey%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DgTJ%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1709%26bih%3D853%26tbm%3Disch0%2C724&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=484&page=2&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:30&tx=68&ty=42&biw=1709&bih=853). Rhyme _that_, why don’t you… ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/38 "2011-04-28T19:43:03Z")
♫ When you moon and - big surprise - You feel teeth in your thighs That’s a moray ♫ ♫ When the world seems to spin Due to blood loss within That’s a moray ♫ ♫ Sirens ring, Crash cart “bring” Next of kin “ring”, As you sing, “Hell! I need a cappucino” \* Heart’ll race away, Head will sway Skin will flay, Guys’ll say, “I ain’t no fuck’in Tarantino” \* ♫ ♫ When you can’t walk, and you scream But you know you’re not reamed, signore 'Scusami, but you see Back in old Napoli, that’s a Lamprey ♫ - [sub]Pulp-Fiction homage[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/39 "2011-04-28T19:44:28Z")
It’s an ill eel.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547/40 "2011-04-28T19:57:48Z")
When you swim by an eel and he bites off your heel, that’s a moray. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-eel-is-this-is-it-even-a-real-animal/579547.md?page=3)