Re: NANFA-L-- eels

dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
Wed, 07 Dec 2005 13:55:02 -0600

North American and European eels (whether they are the same or
different species or not, which is still somewhat controversial) cannot
complete their life cycle without returning to the Sargasso Sea, where
best evidence is that they spawn. They DO NOT spawn in freshwater or
in coastal waters. The eels in your pond cannot spawn without going to
sea.

How did they get there, and can they reach a stream that would lead
them to the sea when they are ready to go? I have read, including in
respected ichthyology texts, that eels traverse terra firma on rainy,
or even on dewy nights. This is the explanation for their finding
their way past dams on rivers. However, few people claim to have
witnessed this behavior. It is also true that an eel can grow to quite
an advanced age and large size without migrating back downstream. But
it will not spawn unless it does migrate.

The life cycle of eels is described in fair detail in the general
zoology text by Hickman et al.

Dave

David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
home page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely/index.htm

"Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"

----- Original Message -----
From: Mysteryman <bestfish-in-alaweb.com>
Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2005 3:05 pm
Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- eels
> I used to live in a little town called Dunn, in North Carolina,
> far, FAR
> away from the coast. There was a little pond in the woods about
> half the
> size of my house, and it had eels aplenty in it. I have no idea
> how they
> could have gotten there or survived over generations. It's not
> like they
> could have returned to the sea for spawning or anything. I guess
> they
> don't have to?
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