Description: This eel has a snake-like body, with a small head, growing to a length of 60 – 100 cm. They are a greenish brown to black on their upper side, yellow to silver on underside. Their lower jaw is longer than their upper jaw, giving them a distinctive underbite. They have a single long fin which starts on their back (far behind pectoral fins) and goes around the tail to their underside. The pectoral fins are small and rounded.

Habitat: Can be found hiding in rock crevices, amongst seaweed in shallow water or under boulders. Can also be found in estuaries and saltmarsh, and spend part of life cycle in freshwater. They migrate to Sargasso Sea to breed and have been caught in depths of up to 700 m.

Distribution: Can be found around most coasts, at mouths of rivers and occasionally shallow water. Only part of life cycle is marine.

Similar Species: Could be confused with juvenile Conger conger, but they have equal jaws or slight overbite rather than an underbite. Their dorsal fin also starts much further up their back, closer to their head.

Key Identification Features:

• Snake-like body with small head.
• Lower jaw longer than upper jaw.
• Single long fin on back running from behind pectoral fins around tail to underside.
• Small, rounded pectoral fins.

Distribution Map from NBN: Anguilla anguilla at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Anguilla anguilla at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Anguilla anguilla

WoRMS: Anguilla anguilla at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758). AphiaID: 126281.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Chordata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Osteichthyes; Actinopterygii; Actinopteri; Teleostei; Anguilliformes; Anguillidae; Anguilla