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The Mysterious Life of Eels

September 18, 2016

The life cycle of eels still holds many mysteries for scientists. Eels are believed to mate and lay their eggs in the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean—but no adults have ever been observed there, only larvae. By the time eel larvae become juveniles, they have migrated hundreds to thousands of miles to freshwater streams in American and Europe. Research led by WHOI scientists suggests that even though they’re only a few millimeters long, the tiny eel larvae can actually swim and navigate, allowing them to contend with ocean currents and reach the coast.(Illustration by Eric S. Taylor, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)