Natural History. The American eel inhabits marine, estuarine and fresh water habitats just like many other diadromous species. However, the America eel is not an anadromous species of fish. The American eel lives in fresh or brackish water during as an adult and then migrates into the ocean to spawn.

American eels are carnivores that have an extensive diet including insects, fish, fish eggs, crabs, worms, clams, and frogs, as well as dead animal matter….American Eel Base Diet:

1. Worms.
2. Small fish.
3. Clams.
4. Mollusks.
5. Crustaceans.
6. Soft-shelled crabs.

Eels are carnivorous, meaning they are meat eaters. They eat a variety of animals such as worms, snails, frogs, shrimp, mussels, lizards and other small fish.

Some say it tastes like a sweet, firm-fleshed white fish, a bit like bass. Cooked properly, eel should be soft, fluffy and flaky, pleasant on the palate and without a fishy or earthy aftertaste.

Why we should eat it: Eels aren’t snakes at all but a type of fish that lack pelvic and pectoral fins. As fish, they’re a fantastic source of mega-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain a good amount calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, manganese, zinc and iron.

Leave the skin on the eel. If the filets still have the head and tail attached, cut these parts off and discard them. After this slightly tricky start, the skin can be pulled down fairly easily, to come off in one piece. The edible type of eel is the freshwater eel or unagi, and the marine eel called anago.

Not only is eel a delightful treat, the list of health benefits is extensive. To begin with, it contains a good amount of calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, manganese, zinc and iron. For the carb-conscious, eel contains no sugar, and is low in sodium and high in phosphorus.

Although the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has twice reviewed the status of the American eel, in 2007 and 2015, they found that the species did not merit protection on the United States Endangered Species List (via the United States Wildlife Service). …

The simplest method of killing eels is to put them in a deep container and rouse them with salt; leave them for up to 2 hours to kill them and to remove much of the slime. They should not be completely buried in salt; a good sprinkling is sufficient.

They’re gathered at a riverbank in Ellsworth, Maine, collecting one of the most lucrative seafood in the world: elvers, or baby glass eels. A 5-gallon bucket brimming with these translucent creatures is worth $50,000—higher than prices for gold.

The edible type of eel is the freshwater eel or unagi, and the marine eel called anago.