The European eel migrates from European rivers to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.
European eels spend much of their lives in freshwater, estuaries, and coastal waters before undertaking a long migration into the western Atlantic. Scientists identify the Sargasso Sea as their spawning region, although directly observing the spawning adults has proved exceptionally difficult.
The eel’s life cycle includes several striking transformations. Newly hatched larvae drift with ocean currents as transparent, leaf-shaped leptocephali. They later become glass eels, then yellow eels during the feeding stage, and finally silver eels prepared for the return journey to the ocean.
European eels are Anguilla anguilla, distinct from the closely related American eel. They should also not be confused with electric eels, which are South American knifefish and not true eels. European eel numbers have declined substantially, making conservation and migration barriers major concerns.