Species · GBIF taxon 5212973
European Eel
Anguilla anguillaAlso known as Common Eel, River Eel, Silver Eel, Glass Eel
European eels undertake one of the natural world's most extraordinary migrations, traveling thousands of kilometers from freshwater European rivers across the Atlantic to spawn in the Sargasso Sea. Beginning life as leaf-shaped larvae drifting on oceanic currents, they metamorphose through transparent glass eels and yellowish freshwater residents before maturing into silver eels ready for the return ocean journey. Severe habitat fragmentation from river dams, illegal trade, and climate impacts on ocean currents have severely threatened populations across their entire native range.
MigratoryCatadromous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Critically EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXCritically EndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Aquatic insects
- Crustaceans
- Small fish
Predators
- Eurasian otters
- Grey herons
- Predatory fish
ThreatsHydroelectric dams, overfishing, illegal wildlife trade, parasites, water pollution
HabitatsRivers, lakes, estuaries, lagoons, North Atlantic Ocean
Life span15–20 years in the wild (up to 80+ years in captivity)
Classification
- FamilyAnguillidae
- SpeciesAnguilla anguilla
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Capable of a mild defensive bite if handled; observe from a respectful distance.
- What to notice
- Snake-like elongated body with continuous fins around the tail and small embedded scales.
- Support conservation
- Never harvest glass eels or adults, and report illegal trapping to environmental protection authorities.
Responsible observation
- Nighttime Spotting: Search slow-moving river margins and estuary shallows after dark using a soft red light.
- Habitat Protection: Avoid disturbing soft riverbed sediments and submerged logs where individuals hide during daylight.
Look-alike Matthieu Sontag / CC BY 3.0 · CC BY 3.0
Close Relative USFWS / CC BY 2.0 · CC BY 2.0
Close Relative opencage / CC BY-SA 2.5 · CC BY-SA 2.5
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