European Eel
Anguilla anguilla
The mature European eel becomes a silvery migratory adult, leaving fresh and coastal waters to return toward the Sargasso Sea to spawn. It stops feeding during the ocean migration, relying on stored energy built up during the yellow eel years. Large eyes, darker back, and silvery sides suit long-distance travel through deep water. One remarkable feature is its catadromous life cycle: it grows in inland or coastal waters but breeds far out in the Atlantic.
- Type
- Water
- Conservation status
- CR