Alan Davidson

Eel

Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus)

Appears in
top 1000North Atlantic Seafood
North Atlantic Seafood

By Alan Davidson

Published 1980

  • About

Family Anguillidae

  • Portuguese: Enguia, Eiró
  • Spanish: Anguila
  • French: Anguille
  • Dutch: Aal, Paling
  • German: Aal, Flussaal
  • Polish: Wegorz
  • Russian: Ugor’
  • Finnish: Ankerias
  • Swedish: Ål
  • Norwegian: Ål
  • Danish: Ål
  • Icelandic: Áll
  • Other: Eascú (Irish); Llysywen (Welsh); Anweye (Walloon)

REMARKS Maximum length 135 cm. A specimen of this size would weigh 9 kilos. But this is exceptional. The usual adult size is much less and the British record for an eel caught by rod is less than 4 kilos.

Colour varies. Adults are usually black, greenish black or grey-brown on back and sides and yellowish below. Sides and belly become bright silver when the eel approaches sexual maturity and sets off to spawn (see below).