Eels have no pelvic fins. The scales on the body are very tiny. The dorsal, caudal and anal fins are merged into one continuous fin. These snaked-shaped fishes have an interesting life cycle. Adults migrate to an area in the Atlantic Ocean to reproduce and die. The larva that hatches from the fertilized egg makes a one-year trip to the shores of North America. After maturing, males remain along the coast, and females move upstream where they may remain for 15 years. The American eel is the only species of freshwater eel found in North America.

American eel--Anguilla rostrata