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Eels are bony fish that have a muscular, snake-like body.
There about 500 species of eels worldwide. Some eels live in
salt water, but many also live in fresh water. |
The
eel is not much more than a set of huge, weak jaws with a very
long stomach. Its body is not very muscular. The eel is about
2 feet long. It has tiny eyes and a small, reddish light at
the tip of the tail. The spineless fins are joined and extend
over the entire body. The scales covering the body are tiny;
there are over a hundred scales per square inch of skin. |
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Diet:
This fish eats other fish, shrimp and plankton. It gets its
prey by acting like a living net, swimming onto the prey with
a large, open mouth. It can eat prey that is larger than
itself, but generally doesn't.
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Habitat
and Shelter:
This eel is found in all oceans in warm temperate and tropical
waters.
Eels enjoy rocky areas and
can be found living or just "hanging out" in holes, under
rocks, crevices and tidepool ledges. You might find an
eel in the waters along the coast of Georgia if you look
carefully.
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Predators:
Eel
have very few enemies. Its main predator is humans.
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