It might seem like something out of a science fiction thriller, but this bizarre finding is real. Using a high-speed digital camera and imaging equipment, researchers at UC Davis are capturing the unique feeding habits of moray eels and how they use their 'alien' jaws. After these eels grasp food with their powerful outer jaws, a second set of jaws -- large, curved teeth located in the eel's throat -- reaches forward into the mouth, seizes the food and carries it back to the esophagus for swallowing. Guess there's no chance of "the fish that got away" if it's on the menu for this eel.

Audio Transcript:

Jaws (SOUND: chomp!) that act like claws (SOUND: cat screeching).

I'm Bob Karson with "The Discovery Files" -- new advances in science and engineering from the National Science Foundation.

The moray eel.(SOUND: bubbles, underwater) Reclusive, snake-like fish that hangs mostly in coral reefs, has a toothy surprise for potential prey... two sets of jaws. One set grabs (SOUND: underwater thrashing) and holds the unwitting entrée, while a second set of jaws lunges forward to move the meal into the eel. (SOUND: burp) Kind of a 'double-take.'

Scientists at UC Davis recently digitally photographed and studied some 'eel-world' feeding habits, and identified the moray eel as the only known vertebrate to use a second set of jaws to snatch and stuff its meal. It's not unusual for fish to have this spare jaw (some 30,000 fish species already do), but the mobility of the eel's dual set of choppers makes it distinctive.

Many underwater creatures use suction to pull food into their mouth, or move it through to the esophagus. Eels don't. They have uniquely evolved a strategy for pulling in prey. And there's no backing out...(SOUND: beeping from a truck backing up) the second set of teeth is curved kinda like the tire spikes in a parking garage. (SOUND: car dropping to ground)

Two sets of teeth. (SOUND: teeth chomping) gotta be a real jaw-dropper for eel orthodontists. (SOUND: cartoon sound, metal utensils clanking)

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