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

Species Info:

This lifeform is found in the Pacific Ocean near Mexico. The green color will help identify this lifeform.

Green Moray or Panama Green Moray (Gymnothorax castaneus) is a large species of moray eel found in the Gulf of California, between Baja California and Mexico, and south through Central America. Generally, morays are poor swimmers that spend most of their time anchored in a coral reef. However, they can strike quickly and have a serious bite.

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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