Give us a smile: The incredible photos taken inches away from hideous fangtooth moray eels

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Published: 13:08 EST, 16 January 2013 | Updated: 13:08 EST, 16 January 2013

These menacing underwater creatures look in no mood to say 'cheese' as they bare their inch-long, glass-like teeth.

The pair of suitably named fangtooth moray eels opened their elongated jaws wide as the camera was thrust into their face.

These incredible images were captured during a night dive off the coast of Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife by Spanish photographer Jorge Sorial.

Fangtooth moray eels have inch-long glass-like teeth and can grow up to 3ft 11ins long

Fangtooth moray eels tend to live in small caves, holes, and cracks up to 50 metres deep

Sorial, 48, from Madrid, Spain got as close as 12 inches from the hideous eels.

'The eel was surprised and threatened by my flashlight and it immediately opened its mouth to show its crystal teeth.

'This type of eel opens its mouth when threatened and, although it is very menacing, it does not attack unless it is provoked.'

Fangtooth moray eels live in small caves, holes, and cracks, which they can share with other eels - they tend to live up to 50 metres deep.

They can grow up to 3ft 11ins in length.

Sorial said he is used to taking photos of these eels so didn't feel threatened, 'the wider the eel opens its mouth, the better.

The fangtooth morays can often be seen with a white-striped cleaner shrimp in its mouth.'

'These pictures are special for me, I've been doing underwater photography as a hobby since 2000 and I'm proud to see how I've improved.'

Fangtooth moray eels are more photogenic than their brown and black cousins because they are often spotted with white-striped cleaner shrimp in their mouths