River eel is considered a delicacy. Especially smoked. However, in some areas it is not eaten because it looks like a snake.
Yes, indeed, river eel looks unappetizing, so few dare to approach what wriggles in the water, and even take it in hand. But in vain. After all, this fish has a valuable composition, which includes fat and proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Appearance
The long, narrow body, compressed at the back towards the tail, really gives the eel a resemblance to a snake. Like all fish, it is covered with mucus, and therefore rather slippery, it is not so easy to hold it in your hands. River fish eel has fins: pectoral, dorsal, caudal and anal. Moreover, the last three are connected into one and stretch along the entire length of his back. Also, its feature is a flattened head, which outwardly almost cannot be distinguished from the body. On both sides of the mouth are small eyes, inside it are tiny sharp teeth, which greatly help this predator to hunt. River eel comes in a variety of colors. It depends on the reservoir in which he lives, as well as on the degree of his sexual maturity. Juveniles are dark green ordark brown with a black back, yellow sides and a white belly. Adults are much darker. The back is black or dark brown, the sides are grayish-white, the belly is white. River eel acquires a metallic sheen as it ages.
Where he lives
His habitat is wide. It can be found in almost all water bodies of the European part of Russia. In addition, he lives in the basins of the B altic Sea, sometimes the Azov, Black, White and Barents Seas. In Ukraine, river eel chooses the Danube, the Southern Bug, the Danube basin. This river dweller does not require any special conditions for its habitat. Maybe that's why some of its individuals manage to reach the age of twenty-five. On average, their life expectancy is 9-15 years. How does their acne go?
Variety and lifestyle of fish
Being under water for that amount of time must be boring. But not for fish. After all, they are constantly busy obtaining food. What does river eel eat? Being a predator, he eats fish, newts, frogs, larvae, snails, crustaceans, worms. He hunts in the dark. Moreover, it is not his sight that serves as an assistant, but an excellent sense of smell. With its help, river eel can smell prey at a distance of up to 10 meters. Eels are active only in warm water. Lowering its temperature to 9-11 degrees is a signal for them that it is time to fall into suspended animation. In this state, they remain until spring, until warming comes again.
When threatened, these fish burrow into the muddy bottom, so they avoid rocky surfaces. Happythey hide between snags, in thickets and other shelters, and at night they can come up to the very shore. If the reservoir dries up, then they can live in moist soil for a long time. Sometimes eels move on land, the condition for this possibility is wet grass or soil.
Strange appearance
In Aristotle's time, people couldn't explain where acne came from. No one managed to catch an eel with caviar or milk or see its fry. Therefore, its origin was shrouded in mystery. In their conclusions, people have reached the point that they considered the eel a product of silt. Others have explained this phenomenon by saying that it comes from other fish or even worms. But in our time, it is known that eels swim away to spawn in the Atlantic Ocean in a place where there is a lot of sargasso algae. After the eggs are laid, usually in April or May, these fish die. Transparent, flat larvae are born at the end of winter. In this way, the eel spends three years. All this time he drifts off the coast of America or Western Europe. After it acquires its usual appearance, the eel goes to a permanent residence in fresh water. There are several varieties of this fish with their own habits and characteristics.
A dangerous acquaintance
In addition to the completely harmless European or common eel, its electric counterpart lives in nature. Although they look similar in appearance, they are not related. Electric eel during the hunt kills small fish, releasing a current charge, the strength of which reaches 600Q. This may be enough to kill even a man. This eel is a big fish. In length, it reaches 1.5 meters, and weighs 40 kilograms. In addition to hunting, with the help of an electric charge, the eel is protected from enemies. The radius of its influence is 3 meters. Divers should stay away from this fish because it attacks without warning. The rivers of South America became its habitat.
Big and beautiful
This fish has a relative in the Atlantic Ocean. This is a sea eel. By the structure of his body, he is very similar to his brother and has the same elongated torso and flattened head. However, the size is much larger than the river eel. It also differs in color. Several species of conger eel live in the ocean. Its skin is colored gray or brown, but there are spotted or striped individuals. This fish is delicious, fishermen are happy to catch it. It is especially pleasing that the trophy is of considerable size.
Plant or not
The original among its relatives is the spotted garden eel. It is named so because of its coloration, and also because these fish “stand” all their lives, half leaning out of the water. Such a flock resembles a garden. When danger appears, they dive into their sandy holes, and then stick out back. They swing in the water column for a reason. Disguising themselves as plant stems, these fish wait for their prey, and then deftly grab it with their large mouth. For food they eat crustaceans, mollusks, small fish. This type of eel is found in the Red Sea, off Madagascar,near East Africa.
Expensive and tasty
Japanese river eel differs from the common eel in that it can live both in fresh water and in the sea. And at night even gets out on land. Its habitat is Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Philippines. This eel glows in the dark and eats insects, fish and crustaceans. It is used for cooking and also in Chinese traditional medicine. In Japanese cuisine, this fish is the most expensive, so it is caught in very large quantities, and it is even under the special supervision of Greenpeace.
Don't be afraid of the appearance of this fish. It has nothing to do with snakes. So feel free to try this delicacy.
