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Are eels fish? Yes: true eels are fish in the order Anguilliformes. That order includes freshwater eels, morays, conger eels, and other families. An eel’s long body can resemble a snake’s, but shape alone does not identify what kind of animal it is.
To tell a true eel from look-alikes such as lampreys and hagfish, check the mouth and other body features rather than relying on the name “eel.” The American eel’s life cycle is one notable example, not a pattern followed by every true eel.
What kind of animal is an eel?
A true eel is a fish in the order Anguilliformes. The order includes animals that live in the sea, freshwater, and brackish water. Freshwater eels in the family Anguillidae are only one part of the group; morays and conger eels are true eels too.
Many unrelated animals have long, eel-like bodies. That shape can be a useful first impression, but it is not a reliable way to identify an animal’s taxonomic group.
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Why do eels look like snakes?
Snakes and eels share a long, flexible body, but they are different kinds of animals: snakes are reptiles, while true eels are fish. A body shape alone does not show whether an animal is a true eel.
Many true eels have dorsal, tail, and anal fin regions that appear as a continuous fin fold. Details vary among species, so no single visible feature should be treated as universal.
Other animals can also look eel-like without being true eels. Lampreys and hagfish are examples, as are other elongated fishes such as rock gunnels, wrymouths, ocean pout, and sand eels.
How to distinguish eels from look-alikes
When an animal looks eel-shaped, its mouth and other visible features can help distinguish it from familiar look-alikes. These clues are examples, not a complete identification key for every species.
| Animal | What it is | Useful clue |
|---|---|---|
| True eel | Fish in the order Anguilliformes | Many familiar eels have jawed mouths and a fin fold along the body; species differ. |
| Sea lamprey | Jawless fish, not a true eel | A round suction-cup mouth with a rasping plate and teeth. |
| Atlantic hagfish | Eel-shaped jawless fish, not a true eel | Barbels around the jawless mouth distinguish it from the sea lamprey in NOAA’s identification guide. |
| Other eel-like fish | Several fish groups have elongated bodies | Check the mouth, fin placement, and other body details; shape alone is not enough. |
The American eel’s remarkable life cycle
The American eel, Anguilla rostrata, is an example of a catadromous fish: it spawns at sea and uses freshwater or brackish habitat during much of its growth. This pattern is not shared by all true eels.
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- Spawning at sea: American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea.
- Leptocephalus larva: The young are leaf-shaped larvae that drift in the ocean.
- Glass eel: As they approach the coast, they become transparent glass eels and move toward coastal habitats.
- Growth in coastal waters: The eels grow in freshwater or brackish habitat. “Elver” is a term commonly used for young migrating eels.
- Silver eel: Later, they become silver eels and migrate back toward the Sargasso Sea to spawn.
The stages describe the American eel’s life cycle; they should not be assumed to apply to every species in Anguilliformes.
True eels and other eel-like animals
Common names can be misleading. “Eel” may refer to a true eel, an unrelated eel-shaped fish, or an animal such as a hagfish that is not a true eel.
| Animal | Is it a true eel? | What it is | Distinguishing point |
|---|---|---|---|
| American eel | Yes | A true eel in Anguilliformes | Spawns at sea and uses freshwater or brackish habitat during much of its growth. |
| Moray eel | Yes | A marine true eel in the family Muraenidae | It belongs to Anguilliformes, not the freshwater-eel family Anguillidae. |
| Conger eel | Yes | A marine true eel in the family Congridae | It belongs to the broader true-eel group. |
| Electric eel | No | An eel-shaped knifefish | Its common name describes its shape; it is not in Anguilliformes. |
| Sea lamprey | No | A jawless fish | Its round suction-cup mouth has a rasping plate and teeth. |
| Hagfish | No | An eel-shaped jawless fish | Atlantic hagfish have barbels around the mouth. |
Electric eels are fish—but not true eels
The name “electric eel” can cause confusion. Electric eels are eel-shaped knifefishes, not members of the true-eel order Anguilliformes. Their common name refers to their appearance, not a close relationship to true eels.
Lampreys and hagfish are different again
Lampreys are fish, but they are not true eels. A sea lamprey’s round suction-cup mouth and rasping plate with teeth are useful clues. Lampreys are sometimes inaccurately called “lamprey eels.”
Hagfish are also not true eels. NOAA’s identification guide distinguishes Atlantic hagfish from sea lampreys by the hagfish’s barbels around its jawless mouth and the lamprey’s round rasping plate.
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Frequently asked questions
Are all eels freshwater fish?
No. Anguilliformes includes marine, freshwater, and brackish-water species. The American eel uses freshwater or brackish habitat during much of its growth and spawns at sea; morays and conger eels are marine true eels.
How can I tell an eel from a lamprey?
A sea lamprey has a round suction-cup mouth with a rasping plate and teeth. This is a useful clue, but identifying an unfamiliar species may require more than one feature.
How can I tell a hagfish from a lamprey?
In NOAA’s guide, an Atlantic hagfish has barbels around its jawless mouth, while a sea lamprey has a round rasping plate and no barbels. These clues apply to the examples described, not every species.
Are electric eels related to true eels?
No. Electric eels are eel-shaped knifefishes, not members of the true-eel order Anguilliformes.
Do all eels follow the American eel’s life cycle?
No. The American eel is catadromous, spawning at sea and using freshwater or brackish habitat during much of its growth. That life cycle should not be used as a template for all true eels.
The bottom line
True eels are fish, but not every eel-shaped animal or animal with “eel” in its name is a true eel. Their long bodies are not enough to identify them. Mouth features can help distinguish a true eel from look-alikes such as sea lampreys and hagfish, while the American eel’s migration is one example of the varied lives of true eels.
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