Species learning profile
American eel
Anguilla rostrata
American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a brackish fish associated with estuary habitat in Atlantic. It travels far to spawn in the Sargasso Sea.
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At a glance
- Agua
- Agua salobre
- Habitat
- Estuario
- Longitud máxima
- 120 cm
- Distribución
- Atlántico
- Familia
- Anguillidae
- Orden
- Anguilliformes
Observe
How to identify American eel
- Olive-brown to dark grey.
- Long, smooth, and snake-like with a continuous fin.
- Reported maximum length: 120 cm — capable of growing longer than many people are tall. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.
Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.
Place and pattern
Where it lives—and how it behaves
Habitat and range
This species is associated with estuary habitat across Atlantic. Tides mix fresh and salt water here, and sheltered shallows often serve as productive nursery habitat.
Behavior
Uses estuary habitat for feeding, shelter, migration, or reproduction.
Food-web connections
What it eats and why it matters
Diet
A species-specific mix of plant material, plankton, invertebrates, or other fish.
Ecological role
It links sheltered nursery water with river, coast, or offshore food webs..
Remember
One fact worth keeping
American eel puede medir unos 120 cm y suele encontrarse cerca de Estuario.
Think like a conservationist
A conservation lens
Estuaries are vulnerable to shoreline loss, polluted runoff, dredging, and barriers between nursery and adult habitat.
This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.
Recall
Quick knowledge check
Which habitat is most closely associated with American eel in this guide?
Keep exploring
References and further reading
Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.
Make connections