Eel
Anguilla anguilla
Not Kosher
Description
The European eel is a species of eel. Their life history was a mystery for thousands of years, and mating in the wild has not yet been observed.
Eels are an important food fish as both adults and young glass eels. The US alone imports around 11 million pounds a year for its sushi industry.
The European eel spawns in the Sargasso Sea, then spreads north through the Atlantic, its coasts, and the rivers draining into it. It spends most of its life in fresh inland or brackish coastal water, down to about 700 meters, before returning to the ocean to spawn.
Also known as
- European eel
- American eel
- Anguilla
- Unagi
- Elver
Eel in foreign languages
| Scientific | Anguilla anguilla |
| Hebrew | צלופח אירופי |
| Yiddish | אוגרע |
| Arabic | أنقليس أوروبي |
| Spanish | anguila europea |
| Portuguese | Meixão |
| French | anguille |
| Italian | anguilla |
| German | Aal |
| Russian | Речной угорь |
| Chinese | 歐洲鰻鱺 |
| Japanese | ヨーロッパウナギ |
| Korean | 유럽뱀장어 |
| Vietnamese | Cá chình Châu Âu |
| Thai | ปลาตูหนายุโรป |
Gallery
Warnings & Kosher Issues
- Eels appear scaleless, and any tiny scales they have don't meet the kosher standard of scales removable without tearing the skin, so they are not kosher.
- The European eel is listed on CITES Appendix II as a conservation concern.