Approximately 15 species of eel live here. Eel family They are all long snake-shaped fish, most of which migrate between the ocean and inland freshwater at different times in their lives.
The most notable journey is carried out by the European eel. Anguilla Anguilla. Born in the Sargasso Sea in the central Atlantic Ocean. Hey, transparent larvae that look like leaves hatch. A small fish head is attached to it. They drift thousands of miles on Atlantic currents until they reach the shores of Eastern Europe, where they transform into young bootlace-sized fry known as glass eels or elvers.
They mature in shallow coastal waters and eventually change color into large yellow eels that migrate along rivers to lakes. Eels remain inland and freshwater for decades, before changing color again to become silver eels several meters long.
The golden eel is in the final stages of its life, taking on a daring mission to swim back decades into the Sargasso Sea. Only when they approach the spawning water do males and females mature and develop their reproductive organs.
For many years, the European eel’s epic life cycle remained an unproven theory. It was in 2022 that it became a reality. Scientists tracked golden eels to their spawning groundsThere, the female releases millions of eggs, which are fertilized externally by the male eel.
The next big question is what the future holds for eels. The number of glass eels reaching Europe’s coasts has plummeted by more than 95 percent in recent years, making the species critically endangered. They face many problems, including migratory routes blocked by dams and illegal trade in glass eels for breeding in farms.
read more:
Check out our ultimate Interesting information More amazing science pages.
Source: www.sciencefocus.com
