American eel

Anguilla rostrata

American eel. Photo:Duane Raver, USFWS

Eels have a highly distinctive-looking, elongated body. Most eel species are exclusively marine, with only one species, the american eel, inhabiting freshwater systems of Quebec. Eels are unique in that they are catadromous; adults migrate from freshwater to the Atlantic Ocean (the Sargasso Sea) to spawn. It is the young eels (2- 4 inches in length) that migrate back to freshwater. Eels generally reach a maximum size of 60 cm in length. They are varacious predator, feeding on a variety of fish and large invertebrates, with most of their feeding occuring during the night.