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Eels are
ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...
belonging to the
order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111
genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
, and about 800
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually
predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill t ...
s. The term "eel" is also used for some other eel-shaped fish, such as electric eels (genus ''Electrophorus''), spiny eels (family Mastacembelidae), swamp eels (family Synbranchidae), and deep-sea spiny eels (family Notacanthidae). However, these other
clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English ter ...
s evolved their eel-like shapes independently from the true eels. Eels live both in salt and fresh water, and some species are catadromous.


Description

Eels are elongated fish, ranging in length from in the one-jawed eel ('' Monognathus ahlstromi'') to in the slender giant moray. Adults range in weight from to well over . They possess no
pelvic fin Pelvic fins or ventral fins are paired fins located on the ventral surface of fish. The paired pelvic fins are homologous to the hindlimbs of tetrapods. Structure and function Structure In actinopterygians, the pelvic fin consists of two ...
s, and many species also lack
pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...
s. The dorsal and
anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as see ...
s are fused with the
caudal Caudal may refer to: Anatomy * Caudal (anatomical term) (from Latin ''cauda''; tail), used to describe how close something is to the trailing end of an organism * Caudal artery, the portion of the dorsal aorta of a vertebrate that passes into the ...
fin, forming a single ribbon running along much of the length of the animal. Eels swim by generating waves that travel the length of their bodies. They can swim backward by reversing the direction of the wave. Most eels live in the shallow waters of the
ocean The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wor ...
and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. Most eel species are
nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
, and thus are rarely seen. Sometimes, they are seen living together in holes or "eel pits." Some eels also live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes deep as . Only members of the ''Anguilla'' regularly inhabit fresh water, but they, too, return to the sea to breed. The heaviest true eel is the European conger. The maximum size of this species has been reported as reaching a length of and a weight of . Other eels are longer, but do not weigh as much, such as the slender giant moray, which reaches .


Lifecycle

Eels begin life as flat and transparent
larvae A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. T ...
, 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. Many eels remain in the sea throughout their lives, but freshwater elvers of eels in the family Anguillidae travel upstream and are forced to climb up obstructions, such as weirs, dam walls, and natural waterfalls. File:LeptocephalusConger.jpg, Eel eggs hatch firstly into the
leptocephalus Leptocephalus (meaning "slim head") is the flat and transparent larva of the eel, marine eels, and other members of the superorder Elopomorpha. This is one of the most diverse groups of teleosts, containing 801 species in 4 orders, 24 famili ...
larval stage File:Glasseelskils.jpg, Larval eels become glass eels as they transition from the ocean to fresh water
File:Rostrata.jpg, As freshwater elvers, eels work their way upstream File:FMIB 35739 Anguilla vulgaris -- Anguilla.jpeg, Mature silver stage eels migrate back to the ocean to mate Lady Colin Campbell found that the eel fisheries at
Ballisodare Ballysadare (), locally also Ballisodare, is a town in County Sligo, Ireland. It is about 7 kilometres (4 miles) south of Sligo town. The town developed on an important crossing of the Owenmore River. History Toponymy The Ox Mountains () are ...
were greatly improved by the hanging of loosely plaited grass ladders over barriers, enabling elvers to ascend more easily.


Classification

Several classifications of eels exist; some, such as
FishBase FishBase is a global species database of fish species (specifically finfish). It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web.
, divide eels into 20 families, whereas other classifications such as ITIS and Systema Naturae 2000, include additional eel families, which are noted below the family with which they are synonymized in the FishBase system. Identifying the origin of the freshwater species is considered to be problematic; however, genomic studies indicate they are a
monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gr ...
group that originated among the deep-sea eels.


Suborders and families

Taxonomy based on Nelson, Grande and Wilson 2016. * Suborder Protanguilloidei ** Family
Protanguillidae ''Protanguilla palau'' is a species of eel, the only species in the genus ''Protanguilla'' (first eel), which is in turn the only genus in its family, Protanguillidae. Individuals were found swimming in March 2010 in a deep underwater cave in a ...
* Suborder Synaphobranchoidei ** Family
Synaphobranchidae Cutthroat eels are a family, Synaphobranchidae, of eels, the only members of the suborder Synaphobranchoidei. They are found worldwide in temperate and tropical seas. Cutthroat eels range from in length. They are bottom-dwelling fish, found in ...
(cutthroat eels) ncl. Dysommidae, Nettodaridae, and Simenchelyidae* Suborder Muraenoidei ** Family Heterenchelyidae (mud eels) ** Family
Myrocongridae ''Myroconger'' is the only genus of eels, the thin eels, in the family Myrocongridae. Very little is known about the group. Until recently, only a single specimen from this family was known. This individual had been caught off Saint Helena in 18 ...
(thin eels) ** Family Muraenidae (moray eels) * Suborder Chlopsoidei ** Family Chlopsidae (false morays) * Suborder Congroidei ** Family Colocongridae (froghead eels, short tail eels) ** Family Congridae (congers) ncl. Macrocephenchelyidae*** Subfamily Heterocongrinae (garden eels) ** Family
Derichthyidae Longneck eels or neck eels are a family, Derichthyidae, of eels. They are pelagic fishes, found in the middle and depths of most oceans. The name comes from Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country ...
(longneck eels) ncl. Nessorhamphidae** Family
Muraenesocidae The Muraenesocidae, or pike congers, are a small family of marine eels found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. Some species are known to enter brackish water. Pike congers have cylindrical bodies, scaleless skin, narrow heads with large ...
(pike congers) ** Family
Nettastomatidae Nettastomatidae, the duckbill eels or witch eels are a family of eels. The name is from Greek ''netta'' meaning "duck" and ''stoma'' meaning "mouth". Duckbill eels are found along the continental slopes of tropical and temperate oceans worldwid ...
(duckbill eels) ** Family Ophichthidae (snake eels) * Suborder Moringuoidei ** Family
Moringuidae The Moringuidae are a small family of eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the e ...
(spaghetti eels) * Suborder Saccopharyngoidei ** Family Eurypharyngidae (pelican eels, umbrellamouth gulpers) ** Family
Saccopharyngidae ''Saccopharynx'' is a genus of deep-sea eels with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long, scaleless bodies. Commonly, these fish are called gulpers or gulper eels. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae, and is part of the deriv ...
** Family
Monognathidae ''Monognathus'', or onejaw, is the only genus of the family Monognathidae of deep-sea eels. The name comes from the Greek ''monos'' meaning “one” and ''gnathos'' meaning “jaw”, a reference to the large mouth in comparison with the rest o ...
(onejaw gulpers) ** Family
Cyematidae The bobtail snipe eels are two species of deep-sea eels in the family Cyematidae, one only in each of two genera. They are small elongate fishes, growing up to 16cm (6 in) in length. The family Cyematidae is characterized by thin, short bodies w ...
(bobtail snipe eels) * Suborder Anguilloidei ** Family Anguillidae (freshwater eels) ** Family
Nemichthyidae Snipe eels are a family, Nemichthyidae, of eels that consists of nine species in three genera. They are pelagic fishes, found in every ocean, mostly at depths of but sometimes as deep as . Depending on the species, adults may reach in length, y ...
(snipe eels) ** Family
Serrivomeridae Sawtooth eels are a family, Serrivomeridae, of eels found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide. Sawtooth eels get their name from the human-like arrangement of inward-slanting teeth attached to the vomer bone in the roof of the mouth. They ...
(sawtooth eels) Image:Anguilla anguilla.jpg, '' Anguilla anguilla'', an Anguillidae Image:Kaupichthys nuchalis - pone.0010676.g020.png, '''', a Chlopsidae Image:Coloconger raniceps.jpg, '' Coloconger raniceps'', a Colocongridae Image:Conger cinereus, de nuit.jpg, ''
Conger ''Conger'' ( ) is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 2 m (6 ft) or more in length, in the case of the European conger. Large congers have often been observed by divers during ...
'', a Congridae Image:Moringua edwardsi - pone.0010676.g021.png, '' Moringua edwardsi'', a
Moringuidae The Moringuidae are a small family of eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the e ...
Image:Muraenesox cinereus.JPG, ''
Muraenesox cinereus The daggertooth pike conger (''Muraenesox cinereus'') also known as the darkfin pike eel in Ozzyland, to distinguish it from the related pike-eel (''Muraenesox bagio''), is a species of eel in the pike conger family, Muraenesocidae. They prim ...
'', a
Muraenesocidae The Muraenesocidae, or pike congers, are a small family of marine eels found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. Some species are known to enter brackish water. Pike congers have cylindrical bodies, scaleless skin, narrow heads with large ...
Image:Echidna nebulosa Réunion.jpg, ''
Echidna nebulosa The snowflake moray (''Echidna nebulosa''), also known as the clouded moray among many vernacular names, is a species of marine eel of the family (biology), family Muraenidae. It has blunt teeth ideal for its diet of crustaceans, a trait it share ...
'', a Muraenidae Image:Expl9726 (14318848139).jpg, A
Nemichthyidae Snipe eels are a family, Nemichthyidae, of eels that consists of nine species in three genera. They are pelagic fishes, found in every ocean, mostly at depths of but sometimes as deep as . Depending on the species, adults may reach in length, y ...
Image:Venefica tentaculata.jpg, ''
Venefica tentaculata ''Venefica tentaculata'' is an eel in the family Nettastomatidae (duckbill/witch eels). ...
'', a
Nettastomatidae Nettastomatidae, the duckbill eels or witch eels are a family of eels. The name is from Greek ''netta'' meaning "duck" and ''stoma'' meaning "mouth". Duckbill eels are found along the continental slopes of tropical and temperate oceans worldwid ...
Image:Myrichthys ocellatus (Serpentine ocellée).jpg, ''
Myrichthys ocellatus The goldspotted eel (''Myrichthys ocellatus''), also known as the goldspotted snake eel or the dark-spotted snake eel, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).
'', an Ophichthidae Image:Serrivomer sp.jpg, ''
Serrivomer ''Serrivomer'' is a genus of deep-sea eel in the family Serrivomeridae. It contains ten described species. Member species are distributed widely, being found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. The smallest species in this genus is ' ...
sp.'', a
Serrivomeridae Sawtooth eels are a family, Serrivomeridae, of eels found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide. Sawtooth eels get their name from the human-like arrangement of inward-slanting teeth attached to the vomer bone in the roof of the mouth. They ...
Image:Expn0020 (14482376376).jpg, A
Synaphobranchidae Cutthroat eels are a family, Synaphobranchidae, of eels, the only members of the suborder Synaphobranchoidei. They are found worldwide in temperate and tropical seas. Cutthroat eels range from in length. They are bottom-dwelling fish, found in ...
In some classifications, the family
Cyematidae The bobtail snipe eels are two species of deep-sea eels in the family Cyematidae, one only in each of two genera. They are small elongate fishes, growing up to 16cm (6 in) in length. The family Cyematidae is characterized by thin, short bodies w ...
of
bobtail snipe eel The bobtail snipe eels are two species of deep-sea eels in the family Cyematidae, one only in each of two genera. They are small elongate fishes, growing up to 16cm (6 in) in length. The family Cyematidae is characterized by thin, short bodies ...
s is included in the Anguilliformes, but in the FishBase system that family is included in the order Saccopharyngiformes. The electric eel of South America is not a true eel but is a South American knifefish more closely related to the
carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
s and
catfishes Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...
.


Phylogeny

Phylogeny based on Johnson et al. 2012.


Commercial species


Use by humans

Freshwater eels ('' unagi'') and marine eels ( conger eel, '' anago'') are commonly used in
Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan ( Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and oth ...
; foods such as ''unadon'' and ''unajū'' are popular, but expensive. Eels are also very popular in
Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...
, and are prepared in many different ways.
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
eel prices have often reached 1000 HKD (128.86 US Dollars) per kg, and once exceeded 5000 HKD per kg. In
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, eels are popularly eaten in the
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...
. Freshwater eels, known as ''Kusia'' in Assamese, are eaten with curry, often with herbs. The
European eel The European eel (''Anguilla anguilla'') is a species of eel, a snake-like, catadromous fish. They are normally around and rarely reach more than , but can reach a length of up to in exceptional cases. Eels have been important sources of ...
and other freshwater eels are mostly eaten in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, and other places. Today, the European eel is considered critically endangered. A traditional east
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
food is jellied eels, although the demand has significantly declined since World War II. The
Spanish cuisine Spanish cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices from Spain. Olive oil (of which Spain is the world's largest producer) is heavily used in Spanish cuisine. It forms the base of many vegetable sauces (known in Spanish as ''sofrit ...
delicacy ''angulas'' consists of elver (young eels) sautéed in
olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...
with
garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...
; elvers usually reach prices of up to 1000
euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
per kg. New Zealand longfin eel is a traditional
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
food in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
. In
Italian cuisine Italian cuisine (, ) is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp.101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes and List of cooking techniques, cooking techniques developed across the Italian Peninsula and late ...
, eels from the
Valli di Comacchio The Valli di Comacchio, meaning "fish basins of Comacchio", are a series of contiguous brackish lagoons situated to the south of Comacchio, close to the Adriatic coast of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. They lie within the comuni of ...
, a swampy zone along the
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the ...
coast, are especially prized, along with freshwater eels of Bolsena Lake and pond eels from Cabras, Sardinia. In northern
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
,
the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
,
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
, and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
, smoked eel is considered a
delicacy A delicacy is usually a rare and expensive food item that is considered highly desirable, sophisticated, or peculiarly distinctive within a given culture. Irrespective of local preferences, such a label is typically pervasive throughout a r ...
. Elvers, often fried, were formerly a cheap dish in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
. During the 1990s, their numbers collapsed across Europe. They are now a delicacy, the UK's most expensive species. Eels, particularly the
moray eel Moray eels, or Muraenidae (), are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are f ...
, are popular among marine
aquarists Fishkeeping is a popular hobby, practiced by aquarists, concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a piscicultural fishkeeping industry, serving as a branch of agriculture. Origins of fishkeeping Fish have ...
. Eel blood is toxic to humans and other mammals, but both cooking and the digestive process destroy the toxic protein. The toxin derived from eel blood serum was used by
Charles Robert Richet Charles Robert Richet (25 August 1850 – 4 December 1935) was a French physiologist at the Collège de France known for his pioneering work in immunology. In 1913, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "in recognition of his work on ...
in his Nobel Prize-winning research which discovered
anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction and medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of use of emergency medication on site. It typically causes more than one of the follo ...
(by injecting it into dogs and observing the effect). The poison used by Richet was actually obtained from sea anemones. Eelskin leather is highly prized. It is very smooth and exceptionally strong. It does not come from eels. It comes from the Pacific hagfish, a
jawless fish Agnatha (, Ancient Greek 'without jaws') is an infraphylum of jawless fish in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, consisting of both present ( cyclostomes) and extinct (conodonts and ostracoderms) species. Among recent animals, cyclosto ...
which is also known as the slime eel.


In culture

The large lake of
Almere Almere () is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, Netherlands, located about 20 km to the east of Amsterdam (as the crow flies) across the IJmeer. Bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde, the municipality of Almere compr ...
, which existed in the early Medieval
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, got its name from the eels which lived in its water (the Dutch word for eel is aal or ael, so: "ael mere" = "eel lake"). The name is preserved in the new city of
Almere Almere () is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, Netherlands, located about 20 km to the east of Amsterdam (as the crow flies) across the IJmeer. Bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde, the municipality of Almere compr ...
in
Flevoland Flevoland () is the twelfth and youngest province of the Netherlands, established in 1986, when the southern and eastern Flevopolders, together with the Noordoostpolder, were merged into one provincial entity. It is in the centre of the countr ...
, given in 1984 in memory of this body of water on whose site the town is located. The daylight passage in the spring of elvers upstream along the
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
was at one time called "eel fare". The word 'elver' is thought to be a corruption of "eel fare." A famous attraction on the
French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of French ...
n island of
Huahine Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group ''(Îles sous le Vent).'' At the 2017 census it had a population of 6,075. ...
(part of the
Society Islands The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the F ...
) is the bridge across a stream hosting three- to six-foot-long eels, deemed sacred by local culture. Eel fishing in
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
-era Danzig plays an important role in
Günter Grass Günter Wilhelm Grass (born Graß; ; 16 October 1927 – 13 April 2015) was a German novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor, and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born in the Free City of D ...
' novel ''
The Tin Drum ''The Tin Drum'' (german: Die Blechtrommel, ) is a 1959 novel by Günter Grass. The novel is the first book of Grass's ' ('' Danzig Trilogy''). It was adapted into a 1979 film, which won both the 1979 Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Bes ...
''. The cruelty of humans to eels is used as a metaphor for Nazi atrocities, and the sight of eels being killed by a fisherman triggers the madness of the protagonist's mother. Sinister implications of eels fishing are also referenced in
Jo Nesbø Jo Nesbø (; born Jon Nesbø; 29 March 1960) is a Norwegian writer, musician, economist, and former football player and reporter. More than 3 million copies of his novels had been sold in Norway as of March 2014; his work has been translated ...
's ''
Cockroaches Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known ...
'', the second book of the
Harry Hole Harry Hole (the surname pronounced as "HOO-leh"), whose name translates to "Harry Hill" in English and is also called "Harry Holy" by allies in the Australian police force,'' The Bat'' by James Nesbø, first novel of the Harry Hole series. Origi ...
detective series. The book's background includes a Norwegian village where eels in the nearby sea are rumored to feed on the corpses of drowned humans, making the eating of these eels verge on cannibalism.


Sustainable consumption

In 2010, Greenpeace International added the
European eel The European eel (''Anguilla anguilla'') is a species of eel, a snake-like, catadromous fish. They are normally around and rarely reach more than , but can reach a length of up to in exceptional cases. Eels have been important sources of ...
, Japanese eel, and
American eel The American eel (''Anguilla rostrata'') is a facultative catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America. Freshwater eels are fish belonging to the elopomorph superorder, a group of phylogenetically ancient teleosts. The Amer ...
to its seafood red list. Japan consumes more than 70% of the global eel catch. File:Mortagne-sur-Gironde Civellier Mayflowers 2013.jpg, Eel fishing boat in France File:Boats to transport eels - Comacchio - Ferrara - Italy.jpg, Special boats to transport live eels
Comacchio Comacchio (; egl, label= Comacchiese, Cmâc' ) is a town and '' comune'' of Emilia Romagna, Italy, in the province of Ferrara, from the provincial capital Ferrara. It was founded about two thousand years ago; across its history it was first g ...
File:Ålegård.gif, Eel trap in Denmark around 1900 File:Gerookte paling.jpeg, ''Gerookte paling'' ( Dutch for smoked eel)


Etymology

The English name "eel" descends from
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...
''ǣl'',
Common Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic bra ...
''*ēlaz''. Also from the common Germanic are West Frisian ''iel'', Dutch ''aal'',
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
''Aal'', and Icelandic ''áll''. Katz (1998) identifies a number of
Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Du ...
cognates, among them the second part of the Latin word for eels, ''
anguilla Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The terr ...
'', attested in its simplex form ''illa'' (in a glossary only), and the Greek word for "eel," ''egkhelys'' (the second part of which is attested in Hesychius as ''elyes''). The first compound member, ''anguis'' ("snake"), is cognate to other Indo-European words for "snake" (compare Old Irish ''escung'' "eel," Old High German ''unc'' "snake," Lithuanian ''angìs'', Greek ''ophis, okhis'',
Vedic Sanskrit Vedic Sanskrit was an ancient language of the Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European language family. It is attested in the Vedas and related literature compiled over the period of the mid- 2nd to mid-1st millennium BCE. It was orally preser ...
'' áhi'',
Avestan Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...
''aži'', Armenian ''auj, iž'',
Old Church Slavonic Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic () was the first Slavic literary language. Historians credit the 9th-century Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius with standardizing the language and using it in translating the Bible and othe ...
''*ǫžь'', all from Proto-Indo-European ''*h₁ogʷʰis''). The word also appears in the Old English word for "hedgehog," which is ''igil'' (meaning "snake eater"), and perhaps in the ''egi-'' of Old High German ''egidehsa'' "wall lizard." According to this theory, the name
Bellerophon Bellerophon (; Ancient Greek: Βελλεροφῶν) or Bellerophontes (), born as Hipponous, was a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles", and h ...
(Βελλεροφόντης, attested in a variant Ἐλλεροφόντης in
Eustathius of Thessalonica Eustathius of Thessalonica (or Eustathios of Thessalonike; el, Εὐστάθιος Θεσσαλονίκης; c. 1115 – 1195/6) was a Byzantine Greek scholar and Archbishop of Thessalonica. He is most noted for his contemporary account of the s ...
), is also related, translating to "the slayer of the serpent" ('' ahihán''). In this theory, the ελλερο- is an adjective form of an older word, ελλυ, meaning "snake," which is directly comparable to Hittite ''ellu-essar-'' "snake pit." This myth likely came to Greece via Anatolia. In the Hittite version of the myth, the dragon is called '' Illuyanka'': the ''illuy-'' part is cognate to the word ''illa'', and the ''-anka'' part is cognate to ''angu'', a word for "snake." Since the words for "snake" (and similarly shaped animals) are often subject to taboo in many Indo-European (and non-Indo-European) languages, no unambiguous Proto-Indo-European form of the word for eel can be reconstructed. It may have been ''*ēl(l)-u-'', ''*ēl(l)-o-'', or something similar.


Timeline of genera


See also

*
Elver pass An elver pass or eel pass is a waterway modification constructed to mitigate the effects of obstructions, especially manmade weirs, on waterways, watercourses, ditches, drains, channels and flumes, on the movement of eels, fish and elvers (juveni ...


References


Further references

* Tesch FW and White RJ (2008)
''The Eel''
John Wiley & Sons. . * Patrik Svensson (2019)
''The Book of Eels''
English translation (2020) by Agnes Broomé, published by ecco, .


External links

* * *
The Natural History of the Eel
, historical aspect,
Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it ...
, 10 August 1878, Vol. 39, No. 6, p. 79 {{Authority control Articles which contain graphical timelines Commercial fish Elopomorpha Extant Cretaceous first appearances