In total, there are almost 600 different species of eel, grouped into 19 families. Most of them live a life at sea, with only a few species going into fresh water when food is very plentiful there. Even the 16 species of freshwater eel that do exist live in freshwater as they develop into adults but then return to the sea to breed.
Most eels prefer warm water, whatever its salt content and only a few live in the colder waters of temperate climates. In some more northerly reaches of the conger eel habitat, thousands can die at once if they are caught out by a sudden drop in temperature.
Of the 19 families of eel, the most well known include the moray eels and the conger eels, the snake eels and the snipe eels. There is also a family of eels called the swallower eels and one called the gulper eel.
Most eels prefer warm water, whatever its salt content and only a few live in the colder waters of temperate climates. In some more northerly reaches of the conger eel habitat, thousands can die at once if they are caught out by a sudden drop in temperature.
Of the 19 families of eel, the most well known include the moray eels and the conger eels, the snake eels and the snipe eels. There is also a family of eels called the swallower eels and one called the gulper eel.