In what might just be the coolest piece of science news this year, it turns out that Moray Eels have two sets of jaws. A normal one, and a retractable inner one that they use for biting things that are already held in the primary mouth.

Not only is this a spectacularly cool thing for an animal to do (and a remarkable bit of convergence with everyone’s favourite alien death parasite,) but it’s also amazing that no-one’s ever noticed before. Has no-one been bitten my a Moray? Or taken one apart to see how they work? I guess the natural world really is an astounding and — still — often surprising place.

More details, and a video, at Pharyngula.