Species learning profile
European eel
Anguilla anguilla
European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a brackish fish associated with estuary habitat in Europe. It crosses the Atlantic to spawn in the Sargasso Sea.
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At a glance
- Água
- Água salobra
- Habitat
- Estuário
- Comprimento máximo
- 150 cm
- Distribuição
- Europa
- Família
- Anguillidae
- Ordem
- Anguilliformes
Observe
How to identify European eel
- It crosses the Atlantic to spawn in the Sargasso Sea.
- Guide context: estuary habitat in Europe.
- Reported maximum length: 150 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 Europe. Tides mix fresh and salt water here, and sheltered shallows often serve as productive nursery habitat.
Behavior
Migrates between continental waters and the open ocean
Food-web connections
What it eats and why it matters
Diet
Insects, crustaceans, molluscs, and fish.
Ecological role
Connects freshwater, estuary, and ocean food webs.
Remember
One fact worth keeping
European eel pode chegar a cerca de 150 cm e costuma viver perto de Estuário.
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 European 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