Living in the Baltic Sea

Habitat
Despite being an individualistic species, large groups and young Eels can be observed from time to time in estuaries and rivers. Spends Winters immobilized in clusters on soft bottoms.
Food
Mussels, fish, crustaceans, insects and worms etc.
Spawning
Age: 12-18 years old.
Season: Spring and early Summer.
Number of eggs: A female can produce several million eggs.
Place: In the Saragasso Sea at depths of 6 000 m.

The young larvae then migrate for up to 3 years and travel 7 000 km back to the Baltic Sea. The Eel's life-cycle include the stages of Glass Eel, Yellow Eel, Silver Eel after this stage the Eel switches to a bronze color and their eyes grows significantly larger. This is the last stage when they stop eating.

Human impact and Status
The Eel industry with a significant economic value has declined drastically since the 1980s. Less than 5% of the global population of Eel has survived the heavy overfishing. A joint EU management plan was therefore agreed upon in 2007 to limit the fishing. The Eel stock is now in a critical state and well below the safe biological limits, making the fishery unsustainable at current catch levels. Despite this the fishing of Eel continues both commercially and by sports fishermen. Eels are now also bred artificially in aqua cultures. CLOSE