Mediterranean moray

Photo: frahome · CC BY-NC

The cave environment at Chania provides Muraena helena with permanent shelter from light and reduced predation pressure, conditions that allow individuals to grow to exceptional size — specimens over 1 m are commonly encountered at Elephant Cave. Cave morays are particularly site-faithful, with resident individuals remaining within a few metres of the same crevice for years and becoming genuine landmarks of the site that local operators track across seasons. Their primary prey inside the cave is small fish and shrimp attracted to the sponge filter-feeding activity, creating a self-contained trophic system within the chamber.