Body shape
Eel-shaped, elongated body typical of Anguilliformes and other eel-like fishes.
Eel
Eels are eel-shaped, ray-finned fishes of the order Anguilliformes, mostly marine predators with complex larval-to-adult development.
Anguilliformes (true eels)
Actualizado el Mar 9, 2026 · 3 fuentes
Guía de especie
Qué saber sobre eels
Una guía de campo clara centrada en hábitat, identificación, comportamiento y conservación sin enterrar lo útil.
Eels are ray-finned fishes in the order Anguilliformes, comprising eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera and about 1,000 species. They undergo considerable development from an early larval stage to the adult form and are usually predators. The common name "eel" is also applied to unrelated eel-shaped fishes such as electric eels (genus Electrophorus), swamp eels (order Synbranchiformes), and deep-sea spiny eels (family Notacanthidae). Most eels are marine, but some taxa have different life histories: the catadromous genus Anguilla and the freshwater moray spend much of their life in freshwater, the rice-paddy eel spawns in freshwater, and the freshwater snake eel Stictorhinus is freshwater-associated. Deep-sea spiny eels (Notacanthiformes) are the sister clade to true eels.
Most eels are marine, but some taxa have different movement and life-history patterns: the genus Anguilla is catadromous (migrating between freshwater and the sea), some species like the rice-paddy eel spawn in freshwater, and other taxa (e.g., freshwater moray, Stictorhinus) spend much of their life in freshwater.
Eels are usually predators.
Identificación
Cómo identificar eels
Los rasgos visuales que los buceadores pueden usar bajo el agua y las especies con las que más se confunde.
Rasgos clave de identificación
Taxonomic placement
True eels are ray-finned fishes in the order Anguilliformes.
Development
Marked development from an early larval stage to the adult form.
Feeding
Generally predators.
Especies similares comunes
Electric eels (Electrophorus)
Eel-shaped but belong to a different genus and are not true eels.
Swamp eels (order Synbranchiformes)
Eel-shaped fishes from an unrelated order.
Deep-sea spiny eels (family Notacanthidae)
Eel-shaped deep-sea fishes in Notacanthiformes, the sister clade to true eels.
Distribución y movimiento
Cómo se mueven eels por el mundo
La distribución amplia, el movimiento estacional o la migración que determinan dónde encuentran los buceadores esta especie.
Most eels are marine, but some taxa have different movement and life-history patterns: the genus Anguilla is catadromous (migrating between freshwater and the sea), some species like the rice-paddy eel spawn in freshwater, and other taxa (e.g., freshwater moray, Stictorhinus) spend much of their life in freshwater.
Dieta
Qué suelen comer eels
Contexto alimentario útil que a menudo explica hábitat, movimiento y estilo de encuentro.
Eels are usually predators.
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Encuentros responsables
Cómo bucear con eels
Guía de conservación para buceadores que quieren el encuentro sin añadir presión.
Give eel space, avoid blocking the animal's path, and follow local site and operator rules for wildlife interactions with saltwater fishes.
Notas de campo
Detalles interesantes que conviene saber
Contexto útil de la especie que hace el encuentro más significativo bajo el agua.
Notas de campo
Diversity
True eels include about 1,000 species across 20 families and 164 genera.
Name usage
The common name "eel" is also applied to several unrelated eel-shaped fishes.
Sister clade
Deep-sea spiny eels (Notacanthiformes) are the sister clade to true eels.
Preguntas frecuentes
Preguntas frecuentes
Respuestas claras de planificación y conservación escritas para visibilidad en buscadores y recuperación por IA.
Fuentes de investigación
Fuentes de información sobre Eel
Referencias principales y fiables detrás de las afirmaciones de campo y conservación de esta página.
Fuentes 3Actualizado
Eel | Description, Types, & Facts | Britannica · Encyclopedia · Britannica
Primary wildlife guide source.
www.fws.gov · Reference · fws.gov
Supporting wildlife source.
Eel · Encyclopedia · Wikipedia
Supporting wildlife source.
Especies relacionadas
Más en Saltwater Fishes
Guías de especies relacionadas dentro de la misma familia de encuentro.