The American Eel is thought by some scientists to have one of the widest diversities of habitats of any fish species in the world. They are considered to be a freshwater eel but are also catadromous, which means that they spend most of their lives in freshwater but they migrate to sea to spawn and die. In the wild the American Eel can live for more than 50 years.

American Eels resemble snakes but are actually fish. They have a long, cylindrical body with a very long dorsal fin. Their eyes are small and round, while their snout is pointed. These eels have a large, gaping mouth with fairly strong jaws, the lower of which sticks out past the upper one. They are covered in a mucus layer which makes them more difficult to be preyed upon. The female, which can reach over a metre in length, is larger than the male of the species.

Designer: Kevon Greene

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• Also known as the Yellow Eel, Black Eel, Green Eel, Glass Eel and River Eel, to name a few.
• Although they look like a snake, eels are actually fish.
• Juvenile eels are called elvers or glass eels.
• Eels can live to be over 50 years old in the wild.
• Being a nocturnal species means they stay hidden and sheltered during the day.
• They lie most of their lives in freshwater but spawn and die in salt water.
• This species is endangered due to dams, pollution, invasive species and overfishing.
• American eels are carnivores. They will eat small fish, invertebrates and even frogs.
• Immature adults are called yellow eels.
• Large aquatic mammals, fish-eating birds and large fish will eat eels.
• Eels can swim as easily backwards as they can forward.

Sources:

Fishes of Canada’s National Capital Region – American eel (September, 2011) http://www.briancoad.com/NCR/Anguillidae.htm

Ministry of Natural Resource, Ontario – American eel (September, 2011) http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@species/documents/document/stdprod_082212.pdf

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources: Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy – American eel (September, 2011) http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/AmericanEel.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Factsheet – American eel (September, 2011) http://www.fws.gov/northeast/ameel/ameelfactsht.final.pdf