The mysterious Eel

For many, many years nobody really knew where the eel went to breed, and we still do not know much about this strange, elusive fish, not much else than it is one of the most endangered species of fish

European Eel watercolor research sketch

Watercolor and text by Frits Ahlefeldt

The European eel ( Anguilla anguilla ) is a fish I remember from my childhood. The old people still believe there must be more of them out there somewhere. They go out in small boats to set nets, but not many eels are left. The species has gone down more than 90% in the last 40 years or so.

And we still haven’t managed to find out how we can make them reproduce in captivity. Of some reason they almost cross forth and back the Atlantic ocean from the Sargasso sea and Europe

See more of my watercolor stories of animals

keywords: freshwater fish, ocean, endangered species, biodiversity, sea, fishes, fishing, watercolors, watercolor painting, art, watercolorartist, Frits Ahlefeldt, animals, Denmark, akvarel, akvarelkunst, maling, ål.