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The Truth about Eels
By Rama Kumaraswamy Thoopal; Illustration by Shiju George
What exactly are eels ? They are slippery serpent-like fish, inhabiting shallow coastal waters throughout the world. They are fairly common in the freshwaters of eastern and south-eastern America.
The species native to this region are known as American eels and spend their adult lives in freshwater and return to the southwestern Atlantic, to spawn. The young eels (known as elvers) return to freshwaters and the cycle continues.
Florida's warm, wet climate provides ideal conditions for breeding and several non-native fish from Africa and Asia spawn in its waters. Until now they have not caused a drastic impact in the food chain as they never reached large numbers. Besides they never managed to reach the deep interior of Florida's Everglades National Park. (Most fish get stuck in marshland and die before reaching the interior.)
Strangers in the Water But Asian eels enjoy an edge over American eels. Over 3 foot long, they are a lot stronger and hardier than their American cousins. Being highly adaptable Asian eels have both gills and lung-like organs to breathe; as a result they can survive in swamps, drains and water canals, as well as in ponds and rivers. Sometimes, when water bodies dry up, these eels slither into mud or grass and are able to live there for as long as several months without food !
Strangely enough, no one is sure how the Asian eel first arrived in Florida, but some biologists suggest, the eels may have been released, by someone who had tried to raise the species on a fish farm. Although these eels have not reached the interior of the Park, their numbers are rapidly increasing and it is estimated that there are thousands of eels in the vicinity and in the outlying canal systems.
The problem is finding a way to stop it. (Studies reveal the eels are not affected by fish poisons, nor can they be netted, as they are quick to take shelter in crevices).
The Asian eel is not fussy about food, it consumes almost everything that it finds edible - from frogs to small fish, to shrimp and turtle eggs!
The Vacuum-cleaner Mouth The eel uses its mouth as a vacuum cleaner and sucks in smaller creatures. Now that's worrisome to ecologists, who fear the Asian eels could consume food supplies of native fish and wading birds in Everglades National Park. Ecologists point out that the alien species might gradually replace other native predators in the food chain. Some fear that this variety could spread even further and might penetrate large portions of the United States if left unchecked.
