Eel (Anguilla anguilla)
From the Genus of Anguilliformes and the sub-Order Anguilloidei comprising
some 22 Families, the European or Common Eel is from the Family Anguillidae.
Eels live on the bottom of all waters, even reaching isolated waters by
travelling short distances overland. They are nocturnal in habit and largely
carnivorous. There are two variants distinguished only by the breadth of the
nose. The broad-nosed variant is piscivorous.
Eels have a fascinating life cycle, beginning in the sea as transparent
leaf-shaped pelagic larvae and after about three years reaching rivers as tiny
elvers where the females travel upriver and grow on for some 12 years, then
returning to the sea with changed appearance and colouration to spawn and die.
The Eel is snake shaped, the Dorsal, Caudal and Anal fins are conjoined into
a continuous fin around the rear of the body. The mouth is large and reaches
back to the small eyes (These grow large in the adult female or silver eel, so
named for its bright silver belly, when returning to spawn). There are no
Ventral fins. Scales are very small and deeply buried in the skin to the point
of invisibility. The lateral line is complete.
Eel blood contains a poisonous neurotoxin, which is neutralised only by
cooking.
The back is dark green or brownish-black and the belly yellowish or white.
The Eel has a noticeable coating of slime. You won’t mistake it for anything
else.
Eels are fished for with any form of live bait, worms and marine fish
deadbaits (Mackerel heads etc.) are typical. Night fishing is most productive as
these are nocturnal fish. Methods that place the bait on the bottom are
required.
Mature females returning to the sea to spawn no longer have a gut and do not
feed.
The British record weight for a rod-caught Eel is 11lb 2oz 0dr, quite a
snake! The Association record is 4lb 0oz 0dr, which represents some 36% of the
record. This was caught by M. Skinner from the Cuckmere at Sherman’s Bridge in
the 2004/2005 season. Eels over 2lb can be registered as an Association
specimen.
02/03/2008
