diversity
 

San Diego coastal diversity - a morey eel, approximately 3' long, caught in the kelp.
A powerful slimy snake with a nasty bite. Handle with pliers only.
click for video

It is thought that the California morays off southern California do not reproduce—possibly because the water is too cold. Eels living here hatch off Baja California and drift north as larvae.
Maybe another sign of global warming?

Idk man I’ve got plenty of those in hoop nets and they have them all over northern Ca as well so I doubt it’s too cold.
Cool catch though on a hook n line. Did you eat it?

no, did not eat it, but was interested. What I found is that they are really hard to skin, not much meat and some have toxins with guaranteed stomach pain. :eek: Was enough to cool off my appetite.

It looks scary ((

After 10 years of fishing the San Clemente Pier I had never seen a morey eel come up. Then I caught 2 on hook and line a week apart right before Lobster season opened. Both were about 3 feet long, and evil looking. I took the first one home skinned it, which is the most ridiculous undertaking I have ever attempted. Then soaked it in butter milk for the night. The next day I smoked it low and slow for about 5 hours. The meat was white, and very tasty. However there was a bone about every 1/4 inch from end to end. Not worth the trouble to skin them or pick thru the bones. But I checked that one off the list. I need to try the bay ray wings, but I can't seem to get one to bite. Last year it was all I could catch.