The moray eel meets its energy and nutrient needs by being an effective predator.

The need to capture and consume energy and nutrients is ubiquitous among organisms. Unique solutions to this need have emerged through natural selection, and can be seen everywhere in nature. A scorpion fish lies half buried in the sand near the edge of a coral reef; the only clues to its presence are movements of its gill covers. Its head looks so much like an algae-covered stone that several tiny shrimp gather over it and swim lazily in the current. A small fish on the nearby reef sees the shrimp and darts over to feed on them. The scorpion fish opens its mouth and swallows the small fish in a lightning-quick movement. However, before the scorpion fish can settle back into the sand, a green moray eel, nearly 2 m long, darts from the reef, grabs the scorpion fish with its razor-sharp teeth, and swallows it.