American vs European eels - clarify?

[santoury]

I grew up in Mass, so there is always the question of American Eels, vs European eels.

A few months ago, you'll remember I caught a 8 inch baby in a brackish estuary near here - I have been keeping him in full freshwater and he's happy. He loves earthworms, by the way.

North shore of Mass, young one in brackish water - which species is he likely to be? American or European?

 

[santoury]

Anybody?

 

[Skipjack]

Surely it is an American eel. American Eels breed in the sargasso sea, and the young return to North america to grow. The females will travel far up into rivers, while the males usually stay close to the ocean.

 

[meepster]

european eels breed somewhere off the coast of africa. it is very unlikely that they would cross the atlantic ocean.

 

[sandtiger]

european eels breed somewhere off the coast of africa. it is very unlikely that they would cross the atlantic ocean.

Both European and American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea. The larvae of both fish pass North American waters, it's only the American eels that stay and the Europeans keep going with the current for another couple years till they hit Europe. I suppose if you caught one off the coast of eastern NA it could be a European but it's probably an American.

 

[santoury]

That's what I figured. Do European eels come into rivers, etc, to grow a little, or is that just the Americans?

 

[sandtiger]

Only American eels come into American freshwater.

 

[davidefc]

no european eels come in FW, i catch them, you can get bigg-ins but the average for me is 2ft-ers

 

[meepster]

hmm the person who spoke at my local aquarium club meeting said that the european eels bred off the coast of africa...

Anyway, for the american eels, only females go into freshwater. Males stay in brackish-salt.

 

[meepster]

no european eels come in FW, i catch them, you can get bigg-ins but the average for me is 2ft-ers

He said only AMERICAN eels come into AMERICAN freshwater. I think you misread his post.