TN00019 AMERICAN EEL ANGUILLA RESTRATA
ORIGIN: native *835,1115,842*; transplanted *835,1115,842*; found in eastern & central U.S., where its movements are not impeded by dams *1187* BEHAVIOR: periodicity: nocturnal *1359*; catadromous, spend most of life life in fresh water or brackish water *816,788* in RI, onset of daily activity and peak activity occurred w/in the 1st 2 hrs. of darkness after sunset *6228*; in MO, all eels found are females *1187*; in VT, females taken were 8-23 yrs., avg 16 yrs. of age *6206*; females thought to spend 5-20 yrs. in freshwater *1187*; seward migration may begin when females are approx. 80 cm. long *6206*; in RI, metamorphosis to sea-going from usually occurs in Autumn *6228*; freshwater form known as yellow eels, sea-going form known as bronze eels, due to differences in coloration *6206*; REPRODUCTION: adults migrate to Sargasso Sea to spawn, then die, young return to fresh or brackish water, where they ascend rivers and live until spawning migration *1187,6202,6228,2980*; newly hatched larvae known as leptocephalus larvae, which transform into transparent miniature adults known as glass eels, when pigmentation develops they are called elvers *6206*; juveniles spend several years in fresh or brackish water before leaving on spawning migration *2980,1187,6206*; AGE & GROWTH: live to be 9 yrs. *816,788*; in MO, most eels caught are 16-33 in. and .25-3.75 lbs., largest was 37 in. long & 4.5 lbs *1187*; in VT, lengths ranged from 43-90cm, avg. 67cm, and weighed 1120-1665g, avg. 638 grams *6206* BEHAVIOR: MALES STAY AROUND MOUTH OF RIVERS WHILE FEMALES TRAVEL INLAND, CATADROMOUS - BREED IN SARGASSO SEA AT DEPTHS OR 400-500 M, TAKE ABOUT ONE YEAR TO SWIM TO AMERICAN COAST, FEMALES SPEND 5-20 YEARS INLAND, THOUGHT TO DIE AFTER SPAWNING, MALES GENERALLY SMALLER THAN FEMALES
| Life History |
References for Life History Codes
835, 1115, 842, 1359, 816, 788, 1187, 6228, 6206, 2980, TN5002, TN5071, TN5072
Comments on Life History Codes