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Scientists Discover Fish Feed Outside Sea, Swallow Prey Without Water

A school of fish swim above a staghorn coral colony as it grows on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia, Oct. 25, 2019. (Reuters Photo)
A school of fish swim above a staghorn coral colony as it grows on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia, Oct. 25, 2019. (Reuters Photo)
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Scientists Discover Fish Feed Outside Sea, Swallow Prey Without Water

A school of fish swim above a staghorn coral colony as it grows on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia, Oct. 25, 2019. (Reuters Photo)
A school of fish swim above a staghorn coral colony as it grows on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia, Oct. 25, 2019. (Reuters Photo)

Most fish rely on water to feed, using suction to capture their prey. A new study, however, shows that snowflake morays can grab and swallow prey on land without water thanks to an extra set of jaws in their throats.

After a moray eel captures prey with its first set of jaws, a second set of "pharyngeal jaws" then reaches out to grasp the struggling prey and pull it down into the moray's throat.

Rita Mehta, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at University of California, Santa Cruz, first described this astonishing feeding mechanism in a 2007 Nature paper.

The new study, published June 7 in the Journal of Experimental Biology, shows that these pharyngeal jaws enable at least one species of moray to feed on land.

"Most fishes really need water to feed. This is the first example of a fish that can feed on land without relying on water," Mehta said.

Reports of snowflake morays coming out of the water to grab crabs on the shore prompted her to take a closer look.

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Runaway Pet Zebra Captured in Tennessee

In this image taken from June 8, 2025, video by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office in Rutherford County, Tennessee, shows the airlifting of a zebra named Ed that had evaded capture for several days after it ran away from its owner. (Rutherford County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image taken from June 8, 2025, video by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office in Rutherford County, Tennessee, shows the airlifting of a zebra named Ed that had evaded capture for several days after it ran away from its owner. (Rutherford County Sheriff's Office via AP)
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Runaway Pet Zebra Captured in Tennessee

In this image taken from June 8, 2025, video by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office in Rutherford County, Tennessee, shows the airlifting of a zebra named Ed that had evaded capture for several days after it ran away from its owner. (Rutherford County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image taken from June 8, 2025, video by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office in Rutherford County, Tennessee, shows the airlifting of a zebra named Ed that had evaded capture for several days after it ran away from its owner. (Rutherford County Sheriff's Office via AP)

A runaway pet zebra that was on the loose for more than a week in Tennessee and became an internet sensation in the process was captured Sunday, authorities said.

Ed the Zebra was captured safely after being located in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana community in central Tennessee, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The sheriff’s office said aviation crews captured the zebra, The Associated Press reported.

“Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Video posted by the sheriff's office shows Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as he is carried by the helicopter to the trailer.

Ed arrived in Christiana on May 30, the sheriff's office said. His owner reported him missing the next day.

The zebra was spotted and filmed running along Interstate 24, forcing deputies to shut the roadway. But Ed escaped into a wooded area.

There were several sightings posted to social media. Ed was filmed trotting through a neighborhood.

The zebra quickly became the subject of internet memes. One fake posting showed Ed dining at a Waffle House, a southern staple. Others had him visiting other Tennessee cities or panhandling on the side of the road.