The American Eel is one of two species that spawn in the Atlantic ocean, and migrate back to the East Coast. During this time they are found in estuaries and other brackish bodies of water. The young are small, and transparent and easy to collect as they migrate further inland. The male tends to stay behind on the coast, while the female continues to migrate further inland into pure freshwater bodies. During the next season, the female migrates back to the shore and spawns with the male, and the cycle begins again. American eels are very widespread found upwards into Greenland down to southern Brazil. Always on the east coast.

The American Eel is absoulutely unmistakable, except when compared to the European Eel. Cigar shaped, snake-like, dark in color and notoriously slimy. In fact, they are so slimy that when caught on rod and reel, the eel coils itself around the line, making the section impossible to use again. This aspect makes them useful only for bait. The best way to collect small eels is to use nets and seines, for larger individuals and females, the best method is killie traps baited with prawns, krill, fish, or meat. Full grown individuals have well developed lips for an eel.

Only small eels can be considered as pets. They grow extremely fast and if not released (where found) before they reach a size of about six inches, they become "land-locked" and they become feirce carnivores. Because of their size and constant activity, the eel's tank should be twice as long, and half as wide as the length of the eel itself. For aquarium furnishings, rocks, and gravel work well. The water quality is really unimportant, but is best kept slightly brackish and at a temperature between 60 and 75 degrees F. For food, the eel prefers live invertebrates with worms, shrimp, krill, crayfish, and other crustaceans being at the top of the list. Young eels eat plankton, brine shrimp and other small forms of life. Older, larger eels eat large invertebrates and live fish. All eels will also except dead food such as meat and sinking carnivorous fish pellets, but they will not thrive on this. Eels are active and reclusive, nocturnal and physically extremely hardy. They are notoriously difficult to catch. Keep the tank absolutely sealed without a single hole uncovered. They can and WILL escape if the opputunity is presented. Small eels (2-6") can be kept with other fish but not when they get bigger, at which time other tankmates will be devoured.

Breeding is probably impossible. What would be the point anyway?

Overall, freshwater eels have little commercial purpose, both foreign and domestic. They are used as bait and occasionally eaten. The other species, The European Eel, is identical to the American, but migrates east to the coasts of Europe and other countries.