Where are eels distributed? A detailed introduction to the main production areas

Eels, also known as white eel, white conger eel, river eel, Japanese eel, green eel, wind eel, and Japanese eel, are a general term for species under the order Anguilliformes. They are fish that look like long snake-shaped fish and have the basic characteristics of fish. Similar to salmon, they have migratory characteristics and like to live in clean, unpolluted waters. They are among the purest aquatic organisms in the world.

The distribution of eel production areas

In China, eels are mainly distributed in the Yangtze River, Min River, Pearl River basins, Hainan Island, and rivers and lakes. Worldwide, eels mainly grow in waters of tropical and temperate regions. Apart from European eels and American eels, which are distributed in the Atlantic Ocean, the rest are distributed in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions.

The living habits of eels

1. Environment: Eels like to live in clean, unpolluted waters and are among the purest aquatic organisms in the world. They have strong phototaxis, prefer flowing water, and like warmth.

2. Feeding habits: Eels mainly feed at night. Adults mainly eat animal bait. White juvenile eels mainly feed on zooplankton, aquatic insects, and organic debris. Juvenile eels weighing about 5 grams begin preying on fry. Small eels weighing 100 grams can chase and catch small fish and small shrimp. The feeding water temperature is above 12°C, that is, from March to November, with greater intensity from June to July and from September to October.

3. Sex: The sex of eels is determined by the acquired environment. When the population is small, the proportion of females increases; when the population is large, it decreases. The overall ratio is conducive to the growth of the population.

4. Reproduction: Eels grow in rivers on land, and after maturing they migrate back to spawning grounds in the ocean to spawn. They spawn only once in their lifetime and die after spawning. This lifestyle pattern is opposite to the anadromous migration of salmon and is called catadromous migration.

The growth process of eels

1. Egg stage: The egg stage of eels occurs in deep-sea spawning grounds.

2. Leptocephalus: They drift long distances in the ocean with ocean currents. At this time, the body is flat and transparent, as thin as a willow leaf, making it easy to drift with the waves.

3. Glass eel: When approaching coastal waters, the body changes into a streamlined shape to reduce resistance and break away from strong ocean currents.

4. Elver: When entering estuary waters, melanin begins to appear, and this also becomes the source for catching eel fry in the aquaculture industry.

5. Yellow eel: During the growth period in rivers, the belly of the fish appears yellow.

6. Silver eel: At maturity, the fish body changes to a silvery white color similar to that of deep-sea fish. At the same time, the eyes become larger and the pectoral fins widen to adapt to migrating back to the deep sea to spawn.