What just bit me?! (Warning, gorey)

[happyducks5]

Hey, was hoping for a bit of help identifying my attacker! I was walking in shallow water right up by the shore, perhaps 25cm deep. Sun was just setting so dark, didn't get a good visual, but it got away quickly and was about 1.3 meters in length. It's had the local docs here in the Maldives a bit baffled/camera phones out. Most of the damage is to the top of the foot but there's some punctures under my toes too! It's gone through some tendons at the top so awaiting surgery...

 

[ajduplessis]

Moray would be my first guess.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Would have to be a huge eel. The teeth on the ones I have seen (lots) are not shaped like that.

 

[Jax]

Agree - not an eel.

 

[ajduplessis]

So what do the bite experts think?
Was this a moray's work?

 

[diversteve]

Well, we know it wasn't a sea snake...lol

 

[ajduplessis]

Are you sure? (lol)

 

[ajduplessis]

Would have to be a huge eel. The teeth on the ones I have seen (lots) are not shaped like that.

You do know that a moray have 2 jaws, each with teeth and one works like an "retractor". The dynamics of moray bite is very different to other animals. They can tear and shred tissue. They also don't need to be very large to inflict serious injury.

My $0.02

 

[USdiver1]

I have encountered morays literally at the edge of shore in water so shallow that half of their bodies were exposed to air. Why? They were hunting crabs, so obviously they were hungry and hyper alert, not holed up in their underwater cave.

Could you have stepped on the animal that bit you? The bite may have been the animal's natural reaction to survive, bite and flee.

p.s. glad that you are receiving medical attention. hope the surgery goes well and you recover fully.

 

[happyducks5]

I have encountered morays literally at the edge of shore in water so shallow that half of their bodies were exposed to air. Why? They were hunting crabs, so obviously they were hungry and hyper alert, not holed up in their underwater cave.

Could you have stepped on the animal that bit you? The bite may have been the animal's natural reaction to survive, bite and flee.

p.s. glad that you are receiving medical attention. hope the surgery goes well and you recover fully.

I reckon that's pretty likely, I think it was self defense. The eel teeth look so small though, if it's an eel this is an amazing amount of damage! Makes sense though....

Thanks everyone, I wish we'd got a better look at the time!