Mar 15, 2025 · An eel is distinguished externally from most other fishes by its elongated body, which is seldom laterally compressed. A continuous dorsal, anal, and caudal fin runs around the tail tip; pelvic fins are always absent; and gill openings are usually reduced. The body covering is usually scaleless.

Eels begin life as flat and transparent larvae, called leptocephali. Eel larvae drift in the sea's surface waters, feeding on marine snow, small particles that float in the water. Eel larvae then metamorphose into glass eels and become elvers before finally seeking out their juvenile and adult habitats. [8]

Mar 15, 2025 · Eel (order Anguilliformes), any of more than 800 species of teleost fishes characterized by elongate wormlike bodies. Anguilliforms include common freshwater eels as well as the voracious marine morays.

Can you label the key features of a European eel? A fun and interesting way of learning about the eel anatomy, these adaptations help the eel travel from the saltwater of the Sargasso Sea to our freshwater rivers in the Thames catchment.

Learn about the different types of freshwater, and saltwater eels - how they reproduce, what they eat, what they look like, how long they live, how many species of eel there are.

Nov 6, 2022 · An eel is distinguished externally from most other fishes by its elongated body, which is seldom laterally compressed. A continuous dorsal, anal, and caudal fin runs around the tail tip; pelvic fins are always absent; and gill openings are usually reduced.

Feb 5, 2024 · One of the most striking anatomical features of eels is their fin structure. In most species, the dorsal and anal fins are continuous with the caudal fin, forming a seamless, ribbon-like structure along their bodies. The absence of paired pelvic …

An Eel is any member of the taxonomic order Anguilliformes. Researchers recognize about 800 different species in 20 different families across the globe. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but all have elongated bodies which taper off into a …

May 27, 2024 · The body of an eel has a slimy coating, hence the phrase, “Slippery as an eel.” The most dangerous eel species is the conger. Although these fish are very snakelike in appearance, they are actually fish.

5 days ago · This diverse array of eel species belongs to 20 families and a variety of different classifications. A couple of the most interesting species of this fish include the pelican eel, aptly named for its large, pelican-like mouth, and the spaghetti eel, known for its lengthy and narrow body. Moray eels have two sets of jaws.