European eel (Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758))
by
Dirk Fleischer
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last modified
Jan 19, 2009 03:45
Body elongate with circular profile. Dorsal and anal fin fused with tail fin to one marginal fin. Pectoral fins present but small, pelvic fins completely absent. Maximum length of the European eel around 50cm (males) and 150cm (females).
Eels exhibit extensive spawning migrations from freshwater into salt water (Sargasso sea). Such kind of migration is known as catadromous. Eels are nocturnal predators scavenging polychaetes, bivalves, crustaceans, shrimps, gobies etc.




