The Mystery of Eels #Nature || Full #HD #Documentry ~

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An eel is any fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (/æŋˌɡwɪlɨˈfɔrmiːz/), which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and about 800 species. Most eels are predators. The term "eel" (originally referring to the European eel) is also used for some other similarly shaped fish, such as electric eels and spiny eels, but these are not members of the Anguilliformes order. Contents [hide] 1 Description 2 Life history 3 Classification 4 Suborders and families 5 Commercial species 6 Use by humans 7 In human culture 8 Sustainable consumption 9 Etymology 10 Timeline of genera 11 References 12 External links Description[edit] Eels are elongated fish, ranging in length from 5 cm (2.0 in) in the one-jawed eel (Monognathus ahlstromi)[dubious – discuss] to 4 m (13 ft) in the slender giant moray.[2] Adults range in weight from 30 g (1.1 oz) to well over 25 kg (55 lb). They possess no pelvic fins, and many species also lack pectoral fins. The dorsal and anal fins are fused with the caudal fin, forming a single ribbon running along much of the length of the animal.[1] Eels swim by generating body waves which travel the length of their bodies. They can swim backwards by reversing the direction of the wave.[3] Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. A majority of eel species are nocturnal, thus are rarely seen. Sometimes, they are seen living together in holes, or "eel pits". Some species of eels also live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes deep as 4,000 m (13,000 ft). Only members of the Anguilla regularly inhabit fresh water, but they, too, return to the sea to breed.[4] The heaviest true eel is the European conger. The maximum size of this species has been reported as reaching a length of 3 m (10 ft) and a weight of 110 kg (240 lb).[5] Other eels are longer, but do not weigh as much, such as the slender giant moray which reaches 4 m (13 ft).[6] Life history[edit] Main article: Eel life history Lifecycle Eels begin life as flat and transparent larvae, or leptocephali. Eel larvae drift in the surface waters of the sea, feeding on marine snow, small particles that float in the water. Eel larvae then metamorphose into glass eels and then become elvers before finally seeking out their juvenile and adult habitats.[2] Freshwater elvers travel upstream and are forced to climb up obstructions, such as weirs, dam walls, and natural waterfalls. Lady Colin Campbell found, at Ballisodare, the eel fisheries were greatly improved by the hanging of loosely plaited grass ladders over barriers, enabling the elvers to ascend.[7] Classification[edit] This classification follows FishBase in dividing the eels into 20 families. Additional families included in other classifications (notably ITIS and Systema Naturae 2000) are noted below the family with which they are synomized in the Fish Base system. Identifying the origin of the freshwater species has been problematic. Genomic studies indicate they are a monophyletic group which originated among the deep-sea eels.[8] Suborders and families[edit] A moray eel Gorgasia barnesi, a species of garden eel Juvenile American eels Suborder Anguilloidei Anguillidae (freshwater eels) Chlopsidae (false morays) Heterenchelyidae (mud eels) Moringuidae (spaghetti eels) Muraenidae (moray eels) Myrocongridae (thin eels) Protanguillidae Suborder Congroidei Colocongridae (worm eels) Congridae (congers) Including Macrocephenchelyidae Derichthyidae (longneck eels) Including Nessorhamphidae Muraenesocidae (pike congers) Nettastomatidae (duckbill eels) Ophichthidae (snake eels) Suborder Nemichthyoidei Nemichthyidae (snipe eels) Serrivomeridae (sawtooth eels) Suborder Synaphobranchoidei Synaphobranchidae (cutthroat eels) Including Dysommidae, Nettodaridae, and Simenchelyidae In some classifications, the family Cyematidae of bobtail snipe eels is included in the Anguilliformes, but in the FishBase system that family is included in the order Saccopharyngiformes. The electric eel of South America is not a true eel, but is a South American knifefish more closely related to the carps and catfishes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eel New Documentary Films : Subscribe Now : https://www.youtube.com/user/DocumentaryHDChanne1 The Mystery of Eels Nature Documentary HD | Full Documentry | HD Documentary http://youtu.be/d7KbASotKws http://youtu.be/d7KbASotKws