14 DAY TRIAL // Staff at Austria's Zoo Vienna Schönbrunn has some big news. Not to beat about the bush, it turns out they have managed to breed a black ribbon moray eel. Thus, several larvae belonging to this species have recently hatched at this facility.
According to Zoo Borns, the scientific community has until now documented the existence of over 200 different species of moray eels. However, despite their best efforts, specialists have failed to breed them in captivity.
This means that the birth of Zoo Vienna Schönbrunn's black ribbon moray eel larvae represents a world first, the same source explains.
“It is the first time that the hatching of Morays could be observed. Up to now, nobody knew what the larvae look like, what they eat and how they behave,” says Dagmar Schratter, the zoo's director.
“The heartbeat of the Moray larvae was clearly visible in the transparent egg. At the time of hatching, the larvae are only about one centimeter long and look like little deep-sea monsters with their long teeth,” adds Anton Weissenbacher, head of the Aquarium House.
Information shared with the public says that the larvae were given food shortly after they had emerged from their eggs, and that they all started feeding.
Here's hoping more news concerning their development will shortly follow.