Species Hierarchy
Kingdom ANIMAL (ANIMALIA)
Phylum BACKBONED ANIMALS (CHORDATA)
Class FISH - BONEY (TELEOSTOMI)
Order EELS (ANGUILLIFORMES)
Family EELS - MORAY (MURAENIDAE)
Common name: EEL - SPOTTED MORAY
Scentific name: GYMNOTHORAX MORINGA

Species Info:

Moray Eel - Spotted Moray (Gymnothorax moringa) is found in the Atlantic Ocean from the Carolinas south to Brazil. The Spotted Moray is also found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The Spotted Moray is a small eel generally less than three feet in length.

Moray Eels, Family Muraenidae, are the largest family of eels.  They have worldwide distribution. This family is characterized  by the absence of pectoral and pelvic fins. Skin divers should  be careful about bothering these fish. The bite, especially of  the large ones, is considered dangerous.

Eels, Order Anguilliformes, includes all marine animals with long narrow bodies and no pelvic fins. Several species breed near Cuba and migrate to freshwater rivers worldwide to reach full size.

Bony fish, Class Teleostomi, are a class of chordates that  include the majority of fish-like animals found on earth. They  are characterized by a bony jaw and a bony skeleton. They are  found in both fresh and marine waters.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

 

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CLUPEA PALLASI
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GYMNOTHORAX MORDAX
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