How Big Can an Eel Grow? A Full Analysis of Its Size Limits

A wild eel is about 60-90 cm long and weighs about one kilogram, with a maximum length of up to 130 cm and a weight of about five kilograms. However, the Japanese white eel we usually eat is mostly farmed adult eel, usually about 40-50 cm long and weighing about 150-500 grams, that is, between six eels per kilogram and two eels per kilogram.

But there are exceptions.

According to a October 29 report by the German newspaper Bild, a 65-year-old fisherman in Bremerhaven, Germany, recently caught an eel 2.4 m long and weighing 75 kilograms. This eel should be the largest eel ever found in the world to date.

The report said the fisherman who caught the eel is named Willig, and he began fishing 44 years ago. Willig said: “I caught this eel in the Weser River. On the morning of October 28, I began setting nets on the river as usual, and near noon I began pulling in the net. When I lifted the net, I could hardly believe my eyes. There was an extra-large eel in the net. At first I thought it was a catfish.” Willig believes that judging by its size, this eel should be at least 100 years old.