‘Rare’ American eel washes up on a Texas shore

A University of Texas Marine Science Institute researcher has stumbled upon a massive American eel that usually resembles a snake.

Jace Tunnel was exploring several beach areas for his #beachcoming videos when he spotted the 4-foot-long American eel on a Texas shore.

Tunnell called the find “rare” as this American eel was “as big as they get.” He said the fish was likely a female, as they go into the ocean to spawn up to four million eggs before dying.

The reserve director for the Marine Science Institute said American eels could be typically found in the Gulf of Mexico with the smaller ones usually used for fishing bait.

Tunnel, who shared other unique findings to the Mission-Aransas Reserve’s Facebook page, said: “A lot of people think they’re snakes.” “No, they’re a fish, just a real interesting fish.”

 Some of his previous discoveries during his beach surveys include thousands of sea stars, unique shells, and a scalloped hammerhead shark in the Gulf of Mexico.

What is American eel?

The American eel is a facultative catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America.

Their life cycle starts in freshwater, but they swim out into the ocean to spawn 4 million eggs before dying.

Females can grow up to 4 feet in length while males only reach 1.5 feet in length.

They breathe through their skin. This allows the eels to travel over land and move around barriers in streams.

They are covered with a mucous layer, making them very slick.

They hunt at night, feeding on crustaceans, small insects, worms and other fish.

According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, the longest American eel found in the State was 42 inches.