(Courtesy of Garold W. Sneegas)
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American Eel (Angilla rostrata) These fish look like underwater snakes. They are mostly green in color, fading to yellow on the belly. The females grow to approximately 2-3 1/2 ft (60-110 cm), with the males being smaller. Commonly found along coasts, streams, and estuaries, they tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Generally, they lie inactive on the muddy bottoms during the winter months, but once reaching maturity (5-35 years old) they travel out to sea to spawn and the young return to shore to develop in freshwater or estuaries. Young eels appear in Narragansett Bay in April. They are nocturnal feeders that prey on what is available such as shrimp, crabs, lobsters and small fish. |