What Is An Eel?

True eels (Anguilliformes) are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 19 families, 110 genera and approximately 600 species. Most eels are predators.
The flat and transparent larva of the eel is called a leptocephalus. A young eel is called an elver.
Most eels prefer to dwell in shallow waters or hide at the bottom layer of the ocean, sometimes in holes. These holes are called eel pits. Only the Anguillidae family comes to fresh water to dwell there (not to breed). Some eels dwell in deep water (in case of family Synaphobranchidae, this comes to a depth of 4,000 metres (13,000 ft), or are active swimmers (the family Nemichthyidae - to the depth of 500 metres (1,600 ft)). For more info visit... en.wikipedia.org

An elongate fish found in fresh water in Europe and America; large eels are usually smoked or pickled.

Eel are snakelike fish that live in both fresh and saltwater, depending on the species.  All eels breed in salt water and have elongated bodies and shallow fins.  Freshwater eel is a popular food in many European and Asian countries.  Like many fish consumed by humans, many eels stocks are now under threat and a number of nations have taken measures to try to protect the health of their eel stocks. Many fish are known by the common name of eel despite not being true eels.  The electric eel is an example of this.

All eels spawn at sea and a great number of them do so in the Sargasso Sea.  Eels are quite peculiar fish and their life cycle is not entirely understood.  Eel larva drift with the currents as they mature into young eels called glass eels.  These are totally transparent, immature eels.  Glass eels are usually found in coastal areas although they will move into estuaries in the autumn.  At this time they will turn into pigmented young eels known as elvers.  Elvers will migrate upriver and sometimes over a vast distance and many species will spend their entire life in fresh water.  These eels are known as yellow eels and will reach a mature length, which ranges from .5 – 1/5 metres (2 – 5 ft) depending on the species.

Eels undergo a number of changes when they finally reach sexual maturity.  Their colour will turn grey with a pale belly.  The eel’s pectoral fins and eyes will enlarge which is assumed to assist the fish in it’s migration back to the spawning area at sea where it will die after participating in spawning activity.  Scientists have never managed to observe the eel spawning process, so all biological information pertaining to the early life of eels is primarily conjecture.

Some eels including the moray will spend their entire lives at sea dwelling in crevasses and deep ocean water.  Many people are familiar with morays because they tend to be vicious.  They have razor sharp teeth that have been known to chip bone.  For obvious reasons, swimmers are told to avoid the moray eel although they will only behave aggressively if threatened.  A moray that feels no threat will be gentle and even friendly.

Global stocks of freshwater eels are on the decline because they are commercially fished by a number of different nations.  Because it can take up to 20 years for an eel to mature, many countries may have fished out their stocks of potentially viable mature fish.  The uncertainty about the life cycle of the eel means that commercial fishing may have cause more damage than can be estimated presently.  Eels provide vital cultural and economic benefits to many countries and a number of these are working together to try to boost conservation efforts.