American Eel
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Name and Code
Family
Anguillidae - freshwater eels
Species
Anguilla rostrata
Taxonomic Authority
(Lesueur 1817)
Common Name(s)
American Eel
French Name
anguille d'Amérique
Species Code
251
Family TSN
161125
Parent TSN
161126
Species TSN
161127
Conservation Status
Global Rank (GRank)
G4 (2011-10-20)
National Rank (NRank)
N2N4N (2017-10-31)
Provincial Rank (SRank)
S1S2 (2019-10-30)
COSEWIC Status
Threatened (May 2012)
SARO Status
Endangered (2013)
AFS Status
none
Status Notes
none
Ecological Value
Ontario Origin
native/introduced
General Abundance
rare
Tolerance
intermediate
Economic Importance
commercial fishery (historical)
Length-Weight Regression Coefficents
Intercept (a)
-2.39
Slope (b)
1.87
Length Basis
TL
Habitat and Feeding
General Habitat(s)
lacustrine; riverine
Environment
benthic
Trophic Class
invertivore/carnivore
Thermal Regime
coolwater
Habitat Preference
near cover over rock, sand and mud bottoms in lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks at depths <15 m; preferred water temperature range 16-19°C
Reproduction
Reproductive Guild
Nonguarders: Open substratum spawners: Litho-pelagophils
Spawning Habitat(s)
marine
Spawning Season
winter
Spawning Month(s)
February-March
Spawning Temperature (°C)
17
Fecundity
3,400,000-22,000,000
Nursery Habitat(s)
riverine; estuarine; marine
Size and Age
Adult Length (cm)
22.8-39.8 TL (m); 53.2-111 TL
Adult Weight (kg)
0.02-0.13 (m); 0.26-3.34 (f)
Age at Maturity (yrs)
5-15 (m); 12-23 (f)
Maximum Length (cm)
61 TL (m); 152 TL (f)
Maximum Weight (kg)
7.33
Lifespan (yrs)
6-16 (m); 13-24 (f)
Ontario Records
Record Length (cm)
120.0 TL
Record Weight (kg)
2.31
Ontario Range Map
American Eel range
Ontario Distribution
Great Lakes and tributaries, St. Lawrence River and tributaries, Ottawa River and tributaries (extirpated); native to Lake Ontario, Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River watersheds
Photographs
American Eel photograph
American Eel photograph
Notes
catadromous life strategy, spawn in Sargasso Sea; adults semelparous; most eels in Ontario are female; Ontario populations have declined 99% since the 1970s; tolerant of turbidity
Information Sources
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