File:American food and game fishes - a popular account of all the species found in America, north of the equator, with keys for ready identification, life histories and methods of capture (1902) (14782320542).jpg

Identifier: americanfoodgam00jord (find matches)
Title: American food and game fishes : a popular account of all the species found in America, north of the equator, with keys for ready identification, life histories and methods of capture
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Jordan, David Starr, 1851-1931 Evermann, Barton Warren, 1853-1932
Subjects: Fishes
Publisher: New York : Doubleday, Page & Co.
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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rom the true fishes. The single genus of this family is Anguilla, with one species inour waters. Common Eel Anguilla chrysypa Rafinesque The common eel is familiar to every one who has lived inEastern North America, and who has given any attention tothings out doors. On our Atlantic Coast it ranges from New-foundland to Mexico and Central America, and is also abundantamong the islands of the West Indies. It is found likewisealong the Gulf Coast. Unlike other eels it ascends freshwaterstreams long distances, and may be found even in the head-waters of nearly all the rivers of the Atlantic Coast and theMississippi Valley. It is frequently found in lakes which wouldseem to be difficult to reach from the sea, but however great thebarriers appear to be, it is certain that they have not been in-surmountable, and that the eels got into the lakes from someconnecting water. The eel is really a freshwater fish, whose real home is inthe freshwater rivers and lakes, but which runs down to salt 76
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UJ tr N Io CO _J < < _i q: 5 31- o < z Z < ro -IT 1- UJ 3 UJ O z CD o < s 2 o o The Common Eel water only at spawning time. Such fishes are called catadromousspecies, and their movements at spawning time are in markedcontrast with, and the exact opposite of, those of the anadromousfishes (such as the salmon and the shad) whose true home isin salt water, but which run up freshwater streams to spawn. The method of reproduction of the common eel was longa mystery, and even to this day it continues to be suchamong the illiterate and uninformed. While its method of re-production has long been fully understood, scarcely a yearpasses that does not bring to the U. S. Fish Commission acommunication from someone who claims that he has discoveredthat the lamprey—an animal belonging to an entirely differentclass from the eel, and only most remotely related to it—isreally the female eel! Jacoby has remarked that the eel was from the earliesttimes a riddle

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