Japanese Eel (Anguilla japonica)

The Japanese Eel lives off the coast of Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and the northern regions of the South China Sea. They are olive green, tranquil brown, white, or soft yellow. Moreover, they have small heads with large eyes that help them see in the dark.

The Japanese Eel migrates most of its time in freshwater or brackish waters. During the breeding season, they migrate into the ocean, swimming hundreds, or even thousands, of miles to reach spawning grounds in the far West of the North Pacific Ocean.

Part of the eel life cycle is the development of leptocephali, offspring that rely on ocean currents to guide them back to their freshwater habitats for several months3.