American Eel

Anguilla rostrata

If you see a fish that looks like a snake underwater, you've probably spotted an eel. Most of the 15 different families of eels in the world live in salt water. The American Eel lives in fresh water but swims out to the open ocean to spawn. No one has actually seen an adult eel spawning, but scientists think these eels lay their eggs near Bermuda in the Sargasso Sea. As they mature into elvers (young eels), they come closer to the coast. The males remain in shallow estuaries, while the females migrate into fresh water. After many years, the adults return to the sea to spawn.

Look For : An eel with large pectoral fins. Dorsal and anal fins connected to a well-developed tail. Lower jaw longer than upper. Tiny, separate scales form basket-weave pattern.

Length : Females 4'; males smaller.

Habitat : Atlantic drainages, shallow coastal waters, freshwater streams. Spawns in open ocean.

Range : Along Atlantic coast and into associated rivers from Labrador to Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and southward.