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Eels are known for their long sinuous bodies and undulating locomotion, which is named for them – anguilliform locomotion. They are very successful scavengers that take advantage of habitats other fishes cannot utilize. The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is catadromous – living in freshwater and moving out to the Sargasso Sea to spawn, never to return – and travel thousands of miles in their lifetimes. Eels are also sexually dimorphic; the males are smaller and inhabit estuaries while females grow larger, live longer and live principally in freshwater. Eels are found in all types of habitats, from cold freshwater streams to the depths of the ocean. Unfortunately, eels face many obstacles. Adults are trapped for bait and food, glass eels (larvae) are caught by the thousands and sold overseas as a delicacy, and they face habitat loss due to damming and altering of natal rivers. But eels are tough and may circumnavigate dams by moving over land, or crawling vertically up dams.
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