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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Karya seni koleksi Fishdle asli untuk American eel
Sumber karya seni: Fishdle · CC BY 4.0

At a glance

Perairan
Air payau
Habitat
Muara
Panjang maksimum
120 cm
Sebaran
Atlantik
Famili
Anguillidae
Ordo
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 dapat tumbuh hingga sekitar 120 cm dan sering ditemukan di sekitar Muara.

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.

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