Murena, Grongo

The murena or moray eel is the dread of every underwater diver because when defending itself it goes on the attack and its bite is horrible as well as being poisonous. It is a solitary fish that lives in holes in rocks and can reach 1.5 metres (5 feet) in length. The eel’s meat was appreciated by the ancient Romans for its fragrance and was widely used in mixed fish soups like cacciucco.

The grongo or conger eel, unlike the moray, is neither venomous nor dangerous. However great care needs to be taken when preparing it as the raw blood is highly poisonous and it is only after it is cooked that the eel’s flesh loses its toxicity. For this reason it is very important that any wound is covered when cleaning the eel.