About 1,000 species of long, snake-like fish, mostly marine. The freshwater eels of the genus Anguilla live in rivers but migrate to the sea to breed.
Quick answers
What is it?Fish
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Most eels are nocturnal; the European eel feeds mainly at night, hunting by scent.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Freshwater eels (unagi) and sea eels are popular in Japanese and Chinese cooking.
At a glance
Found inOceans, Rivers
HabitatOpen ocean, Rivers & lakes, Coast
ColoursBrown, Green
SizeMedium
Length5 cm to 4 m (slender giant moray)
Weight30 g to over 25 kg
LegsNone
Covered inSkin
Lives alone
Lives for15–85 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Mostly seas; Anguilla eels live in rivers.
- What it eats
- Usually predators.
Did you know
Nobody has ever seen European eels breed. Still a mystery.
European eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea and are now critically endangered.
Often confused with
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