{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "european-eel",
  "name": "European Eel",
  "scientificName": "Anguilla anguilla (European eel)",
  "category": "Fish",
  "summary": "The European eel is a long, snake-like fish that migrates thousands of kilometres between European rivers and the Sargasso Sea in the western Atlantic, where it spawns and then dies. Adults reach about 1 m in length, weigh up to around 2.5 kg, and can live 20 years or more in fresh water before making their final journey. Once abundant, the species is now Critically Endangered, with young eel arrivals down by more than 95 percent.",
  "conservationStatus": "Critically Endangered",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Actinopterygii",
    "order": "Anguilliformes",
    "family": "Anguillidae",
    "genus": "Anguilla"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 2.5,
    "lengthM": 1,
    "topSpeedKmh": 5,
    "lifespanYears": 20
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Anguilla anguilla (European eel)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (fish, worms, crustaceans)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Rivers, estuaries, and the open Atlantic Ocean"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Up to 20+ years in rivers; dies after spawning"
    },
    {
      "label": "Migration distance",
      "value": "5,000–10,000 km to spawning grounds"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Critically Endangered (IUCN) — arrivals down 95%+"
    },
    {
      "label": "Spawning site",
      "value": "The Sargasso Sea, western Atlantic"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "European eels live in rivers and coasts of Europe; American eels in eastern North America; both migrate to the Sargasso Sea in the western Atlantic to breed.",
    "continents": [
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/european-eel/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/european-eel/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}