Ameican Eels: The most mysterious fish in the sea
Dark green with a light-colored underbody, these snake-like fishes flood the rocky habitat throughout Town Brook and the other brackish estuaries found in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) is one of the most fascinating creatures found in the Atlantic Ocean. The eels’ unique features allow them to thrive in both a saltwater and freshwater environment, classifying them as a catadromous species.
This means that they are born in the ocean, mature in freshwater and years later will return to the ocean to spawn. There is little known in regards to the mysteries behind the American Eel and its life cycle, however, through newly developed research and continued conservation efforts, we can gain a better understanding of this species.
American eels flourish in brackish waters with rocky habitat and cover. They are known to prey on a variety of food sources including fish and insects. Eels average a length of one to two feet, however, have been known to grow as large as four feet. The American Eel has a complex life cycle and is highly sought after in several stages of its life due to its high market value, food source value, and popularity among fishermen to use as bait for striped bass.
A surfcaster knows best that there nothing compares to throwing eel in order to target trophy striped bass!
The Sargasso Sea is located in the middle of the Atlantic between the West Indies and the Ozarks. This mysterious location is approximately 1,000 miles wide and 3,000 miles long, reaching depths upward of 23,000 ft. Thousands of American Eels flood this area each year to spawn. When the young hatch, they are directed by ocean currents, drifting aimlessly, until they make landfall into freshwater tributaries worldwide (classifying them as either European or American Eels, depending on which way they are directed by the currents). The young eels, referred to as glass eels or elvers, are highly targeted for their value.
A map showing the location of the Sargasso Sea in relation to the East Coast.
These small, translucent fish can be worth upwards of $2,500 on the black market, resulting in an increase in illegal fishing along the East Coast. Currently, Maine and South Carolina are the only two states in the country that have a legal fishery for these specimens.
In 2014, two Cape Cod residents were arrested for poaching elvers and trying to sell them in the state of Maine. The two men were in possession of 20 pounds, at the time, valued between 8,000 and 12,000 dollars. The industry in the State of Maine is competitive and leads to chaos between fishermen and buyers within the industry, The season lasts for two months, and individuals, on average, profit well over six figures.
The elver fishery is non-existent in Massachusetts, however, poaching still occurs across the coastline. The easy access to their habitat and difficulty to enforce this fishery, allows poachers (the name given to those that illegally fish) to cash in on this valuable species. The Town of Plymouth DMEA is just one organization that has taken steps to conserve this vital species within our marine and freshwater ecosystems. In 2019, an eel ramp in Town Brook located near the Plimoth Grist Mill was installed. Obstructed fish passage because of a dam, prohibits the elvers to make it up the 1.6-mile stream to Billington Sea where they can thrive in a more optimal freshwater environment.
Although the eel ramp is on a steep incline, elvers and glass eels make the climb up, where they are then deposited into the eel ramp box. After counting the number of eels present in the box, they will be transported further up the stream.
The eel ramp will allow for local game wardens to transport the eels upstream. This ramp will be monitored by the department, which will conduct counts to gain an understanding of population estimates within Plymouth. This newly developed research will provide insight into the abundance, habitat, and location of this species within the Town of Plymouth. Feel free to stop by America’s hometown in the Spring to check out the incredible conservation efforts happening!
Approximately 1,000 elvers that were retrieved from the eel ramp on Town Brook.
Acknowledgments
American eel. 9.26.11.2.pdf. Retrieved January 30, 2019, from https://www.fws.gov/northeast/newsroom/pdf/Americaneel9.26.11.2.pdf
Big changes in Sargasso Sea’s seaweed populations. Retrieved January 30, 2019, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140923131448.htm
Two Mass. Men Arrested for Alleged Elver Poaching | Boston.com. Retrieved January 30, 2019, fromhttps://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2014/04/18/two-mass-men-arrested-for-alleged-elver-poaching
““It would be worth the while if in each town there were a committee appointed to see that the beauty of the town received no detriment. If we have the largest boulder in the county, then it should not belong to an individual, nor be made into door-steps” (Henry David Thoreau).”
