More than 19 different types of eels: classification, data and photos. (2023)

Eels are a type of bony fish, characterized by a long, serpentine body. They usually only have pectoral fins, with the dorsal or anal fins fused with the caudal fin to form a ribbon-like structure along the body.

Unlike most fish, eels do not have scales. Instead, their skin is covered in a protective layer of mucus that can even hold water, allowing them to breathe on dry land for several hours.

Different species of eels have different sizes, colors, habits, diets, and habitats. The largest eels can be over thirteen feet long and weigh over 250 pounds (113 kg). The smallest eels weigh one ounce and are only a few inches long.

Eels move through the water, rippling their bodies into waves. To swim backwards, they simply reverse the movement.

One of the most fascinating features of eels is that they have gills.neck jaws. This is an extra set of jaws that sit deeper in the neck and push forward to grab and pull down whatever the main jaws have attached to.

Although many fish have them, minnows are unique in that their extra jaws can move much more than usual. Eels have sharp, backward-facing, needle-like teeth that plunge in and grab onto prey. Their extra jaws allow them to carry and swallow prey without the need for arms or legs.

In general, eels lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle. Asnocturnal animalsthey spend most of the day in their hiding place. They hunt at night. Eels differ in their hunting behavior depending on the species, with some acting as ambush predators and others actively pursuing their prey.

Many species have been documented to hunt in packs and even ask the eels of other species to join them on hunting parties. There were even eels.documented hunting with other specieslike a grouper

Most of the sea eel's diet consists of fish, crustaceans, invertebrates, and other eels. Freshwater eels have a similar diet, feeding on fish, crayfish, worms, smaller eels, and insect larvae.

Some species of eels prefer to be solitary creatures, especially during the adult stage. Others congregate in groups of several hundred.

All eel species go through four life stages: larval stage, eel stage, eel stage, and adult stage.

In the larval or leptocephalic stage, eels float around the water column as flat, transparent creatures. They feed mainly on marine snow and plankton until they grow large enough to reach the glass snail stage.

In the glass snail stage, they begin to eat larger prey relative to their size and move to estuaries and estuaries to grow larger.

As the eels grow, they begin to move to their adult habitats. This is the last stage before the eels become fully grown individuals. Freshwater eels begin to move upstream in search of lower salinity, and saltwater species move further out to sea.

Adult eels continue to grow and mature until they reach sexual maturity, a process whose timing depends on the eel species. When they reach maturity, they move from their homes to breeding areas to breed and then die.

There are more than 800 different species of eels spread all over the world. The easiest way to separate them is the 19 families into which each of these species fits and which are scientifically classified.

Here we will discuss each family of eels, their various characteristics, and give examples of specific species within the family.

freshwater eelsthey are considered cruisers, meaning they live in fresh water but return to the oceans to spawn. Many young freshwater eels inhabit estuaries and estuaries (saltwater) as they mature, returning to rivers as adults.

Typically, these eels reach sexual maturity at around 15 years of age. When this happens, they leave the rivers and move to specific oceanic spawning grounds to spawn, possibly dying soon after.

Only one species of freshwater eel is native to North America, the American eel. Its breeding ground is in the Sargasso Sea, off the coast of Bermuda. Adult female eels can reach four feet (1.21 m) in length, while males generally only reach one and a half feet (0.45 m).

Other freshwater eel species include:

• European Eel – (Anguilla Anguilla)
• Short eel - (Anguilla Australis)
• Indian Spotted Eel - (Anguilla bengalensis)
• Indonesian Eel – (Anguilla Bicolor)
• Indonesian Longwing - (Anguilla Borneensis)
• Celebes Eel - (Anguilla Celebesensis)
• New Zealand Eel – (Anguilla Dieffenbachii)
• Mountain eel - (inland eel)

false myrtlethey are essentially mini versions of their larger cousins. Most specimens only reach around 7 to 8 inches (17.78 cm to 20.32 cm) in length.

This is a tropical and subtropical group, found mainly on coral reefs. They are not easy to find as they tend to bury themselves in the sand or in the holes in the crevices between the rocks. Like most eels, they are quite sedentary, waiting for the right moment for prey to get very close to their hiding place.

Many species of false eels can be found in North and Central America.

Other species of pseudoeels include:

• Catesbya pseudomuraena - (Catesbya pseudomuraena)
• Sea eel – (Chilorhinus suensonii)
• Striped-nosed False Moray – (Chlopsis apterus)
• Bicolor false berry - Chlopsis bicollaris)
• Ψευδόστιλη σμέρνα – (Chlopsis dentatus)
• Falso Moray Kazuko – (Chlopsis kazuko)
• False red mullet - (Kaupichthys hyoproroides)
• Ringed Eel – (Kaupichthys nuchalis)
• False brunette - (Kaupichthys brachychiru)

Outline Tailed Eelsthey have a smaller and more robust body than other families of eels. The bluntnose eel prefers warm water but prefers depth, typically living between 1,000 and 2,900 feet (304.8 m and 883.92 cm).

Short-tailed eel species are found off the coasts of North America, South America, Africa, and Australia.

Short-tailed eel species include:

• Leptocephalus olbrzymi – (coloconger giganteus)
• Froghead eel – (Coloconger raniceps)
• Indo-Pacific short-tailed conger – (Coloconger scholesi)

eelsthey differ from other eels in that they generally do not migrate much to spawn. They have large heads, wide mouths, and can be found as deep as 2,900 feet (883.92 m). The 194 species belonging to the family are distributed throughout the world and inhabit the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific oceans.

The European eel is the heaviest known eel. They can grow up to ten feet long (3,048 m), with some specimens weighing over 200 pounds (90.71 kg).

Garden eels are smaller eels that also fit into the eel family. They live in colonies on the sandy bottom and look like clumps of seaweed when out of their burrows.

Eel species include:

• European conger - (conger conger)
• Magnificent Garden Heel – (Gorgasia preclara)
• Conger gris - (Eatable conger)
• Conger Threadtail - (Uroconger syringinus)
• American conger - (Oceanic conger)
• African longfin - (Conger cinereus)

long blooded eelsthey are among the few families that live in the open sea. The pelagic family has only three species, all of which reach one to two feet (0.30 to 0.60 m) in length.

Adult eels of these species have striped heads, and the stripes are part of their sensory system. Since they live at the bottom and in the middle of nowhere, they use special senses to help them find food and avoid predators.

Long-necked eel species include:

• Narrow-necked Oceanic Eel - (Derichthys serpentinus)
• Anguila pato – (Nessorhamphus danae)
• Ocean Heel Duckbill – (Nessorhamphus ingolfianus)

eight speciesHang on a minuteit can be found in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and eastern Pacific. They are specially adapted for digging in the soft muddy bottom.

The family lacks pectoral fins, scales, and large mouths for catching prey. They typically range in length from 13 to 60 inches (2.54 cm and 152.4 cm).

Types of mud eels include:

• Pacific mud eel - (Pythonichthys asodes)
• Węgorz karaibski – (Pythonichthys sanguineus)
• Slender Eel – (Panturichthys longus)
• Short Head Eel – (Panturichthys mauritanicus)

Spaghetti eels get their name from their long, thin, noodle-like bodies. They can be as short as five inches (12.7 cm) or as long as 55 inches (139.7 cm).

They are usually found in the tropical regions of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans, but are occasionally found in freshwater. Purple spaghetti can be found in rivers and estuaries from India to the Philippines.

Types of eel spaghetti include:

• Purple Spaghetti Eel – (Moringua raitaborua)
• Spaghetti Bengala – (Moringua arundinacea)
• Bloated Worm – (Neoconger tuberculatus)
• Small-eyed Spaghetti Eel – (Neoconger vermiformis)

turn the eelsThey are large eels that can move between fresh and salt water, although they usually swim in salt water. Specimens grow from two to eight feet (0.60 m to 2.43 m) in length and can be found as deep as 800 meters (2,624.67 ft). There are about fifteen species of pike worldwide.

The stiletto pike averages five feet (1.52 m) in length and can be found in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean around Japan. They also reached the Mediterranean thanks to the construction of the Suez Canal.

Daggertooth is a large commercial species of eel, caught and eaten in China, Japan, and Taiwan.

Types of pike include:

• Dagger-toothed pike-congry - (Muraenesox szary)
• Konger pospolity - (Muraenesox bagio)
• Pico de pato – (Gavialiceps javanicus)
• Red Conger - (Cynoponticus coniceps)

With almost 200 species filling the family, when you think of eels, you probably think of a few.Smyrna. The moray eel species are usually shallow water eels and range in length from four and a half inches (11.43 cm) to thirteen feet (3.96 m).

Many species of sea urchins have striking patterns or brightly colored skin, making them favorites with aquarists. They are among the most common eels to bite humans, especially when challenged by larger species.

The giant myrtle is the largest myrtle by body weight, reaching ten feet (3.04 m) in length and weighing up to 29.48 kg. The smallest herring is the Snyder eel, which only reaches about 11.43 cm (4.5 in) in length.

Myrtle types include:

• Ribbon Moray - (Poll Rhinomuraena)
• Murena olbrzymia – (Gymnothorax javanicus)
• Zebra Moray - (Gymnomuraena zebra)
• Morena negra - (August Moray)

Little is known aboutred eels. As recently as 1990, there was only one known species in the family, and today only four more have been found.

Very few of these creatures have been captured or studied, and as a result, we know they exist but know almost nothing about their habitat, behavior, or life.

A species of red eel hasonly three known specimensFound off the coast of Africa.

Types of red eels include:

• Red Eel - (Myroconger Compressed)
• Myroconger gracilis
• Conger-Moray Orange – (Myroconger nigrodentatus)
• Myroconger prolixus
• Myroconger seychellensis

Another pelagic species,scholarshipThey are usually found at depths of 1,000 to 2,000 ft (304.8 m to 609.6 m). All nine species of woodpeckers have extremely slender, cylindrical bodies and grow from three to five feet (0.91 m to 1.52 m) long.

A characteristic feature of snipes is their jaws. They are long and thin. The tips of their jaws bend toward each other, just like the birds for which they are named.

Types of cut eel include:

• Gib Eel - (Avocettina acuticeps)
• Agachadiza - (Nemichthys scolopaceus)
• Bokser bekas – (Nemichthys curvirostris)
• Avocet Snipe Heel – (avocetina joven)

duck eelThey are often found along the continental shelf in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Typically, species in the family spend their time on the bottom, growing to about four feet.

They have slender heads, most lack pectoral fins, and almost all are gray to some degree. The duck eel family includes 42 species.

They get their name from their duck-like mouth and are common prey for deep-sea species such as cod.

Duckbill eel species include:

• Blackfin Warlock - (Nettastoma melanurum)
• Sorcerer Plover – (Venefica proboscidea)
• Reyes Piegowaty - ( Hoplunnis macrura )
• Anguila enana – (Nettenchelys pygmaea)

Vipers are the most snake-like species of eel in appearance. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, from rivers to ocean depths as deep as 792.48 m (2,600 ft). Snake eels range in length from two inches to over seven feet.

Almost all snakes are finless, which helps them dig and burrow into sand and mud like worms. Many have colors and markings that resemble venomous sea snakes to deter predators.

Types of eels include:

• King eel - (Ophichthus rex)
• African eel - (Mystriophis rostellatus)
• Rice Eel - (Pisodonophis boro)
• Fringe Eel - (Ophichthus cruentifer)

Sawtooths are deep-sea pelagic eels. They have inward-pointing teeth that look like a saw, hence their name. There are about eleven species in this family.

Most species in this family reach a maximum length of 60 to 70 cm (23.6 to 177.8 in).

Types of sawtooth claws include:

• Samoan saw eel – (Serrivomer samoensis)
• Black Saw Eel - (Servivomer brevidentatus)
• Sacred Palate - (Servivomer jesperseni)

Salmon eels are a very deep-water species of eel generally found down to 12,000 feet (3,657.6 meters). Species in this family range in length from 9 to 63 inches (22.86 to 160.02).

Eels get their name from the way their gills are positioned on their necks. They are very low, almost below the animal, which makes the eel look like its throat has been slit.

The taxonomy of this family is debated, placing some species, such as the snub eel, in a subfamily of their own.

Types of salmon eels include:

• Κοντόχελο - (Synaphobranchus brevidorsalis)
• eel (Simenchelys parasitica)

Humans rarely see gobbler eels because their natural habitats are very deep areas of the ocean. They are rarely seen when brought to the surface by deep-sea trawlers.

Currently it has been confirmed that there is only one species of eel. Like other deep-sea fish (see puffer fish), eels have bodies that change shape when they surface and are no longer subject to the enormous pressure of the depths.

For this reason, it is difficult to determine exactly what they look like in their native environment. We can be sure that they have a huge mouth with a pouch like a pelican, a tail like a whip, and a complex organ at the end of the tail that emits flashes of light to lure prey into the black ocean of the abyss. .

These eels, also called eels, are another deep-sea species that have a huge neck pouch instead of a huge mouth pouch.

Many of the same things apply to the Saccopharynx as to the Eurypharyngidae. They are rarely seen, rarely observed, and we know almost nothing about them.

Finally, another family of deep-sea eels. What makes them stand out as a family of their own is that they have a mouth of more normal proportions than other families of eels.

Like the others, the length of the moth's body is its tail, which tapers as you go. Eels of all families are generally only found in waters up to 10,000 (3,048 m) deep.

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electric eelsthey are huge, growing up to nine feet and weighing up to fifty pounds. There are three types of electric eels and they all come from South America.

The truth is that electric eels are not eels, but a kind of knife. They evolved their eel form independently of what we call true eels.

Electric eels prefer murky, slow-flowing water. They are nearly blind and use their electrical charges to sense both predator and prey in the water.

They often surface to swallow air, and their mouths can act as lungs, supplying them with oxygen. This adaptation allows them to live in incredibly shallow and stagnant bodies of water.

Electric eels are capable of causing shocks of up to600 volts. Both use it to paralyze their prey and protect it from predators. Your nervous system and body contain specialized organs that generate electrical charges. Simply put, they create vibrations by creating an imbalance between the categories and driving them away.

These fish feed on anything they can, including fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and even fruits and nuts.

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Freshwater eels and eels are the most consumed eels by humans. Eel has long been a staple around the world in places like England, Japan, Korea, and China. Even today, people eat millions of pounds of eel every year.

Eel consumption has declined over time due to protective measures taken to stop the decimation of the eel population. Eels take a long time to reach full size, however they are fairly easy to breed. This has led to a boom in eel farming in recent years, as the price of eel per pound remains incredibly high.

eel farmwhile it is not difficult, it is complicated. It only breeds in certain areas, so farmers can't farm them like tilapia. Young eels are caught in nets from rivers and transported to facilities where they are then raised to marketable size. When they are big enough, the eels are processed and sold.

In the United States, eel has gained popularity due to the increase in sushi consumption in recent years. Unagi, as freshwater eels are called in Japan, is a big part of the cuisine behind tuna.

Smoked eel is a popular delicacy in Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden.

Eels were a staple in England all the way up the Thames to London. The first pâté and eel houses were opened in the 18th century.

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Eels are a fairly hardy species, capable of changing their environment and having a wide variety of prey species. However, many eel populations are threatened by human activities, just like other fish species.

Hethe biggest threat to eelsthey include pollution, environmental change, overfishing, drainage, and hydrological development. Overfishing has led to the decline of many once extremely abundant eel populations.

Damming rivers has a significant impact on eels. Many species must enter or leave rivers to reproduce. Even many primarily saltwater species spend some time in fresh or brackish water. Dams and other obstacles block their path to feeding and spawning areas, effectively killing them.

As with salmon, many places where eel populations migrate have installed "eel bridges" to help them navigate the rivers.

Pollution and invading bacteria, parasites, and disease are also threats to eels. European and North American populations suffer from the accidental introduction of Asian parasites.

Many of the most beautiful eel species are caught for the aquarium trade, and over-harvesting of the best eels causes local populations to decline.

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