| Anguillidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| American eel (Anguilla rostrata) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Family: | Anguillidae |
| Genus: | Anguilla Garsault, 1764 |
| Type species | |
| Anguilla anguilla Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
Anguillidae, the freshwater eels, are a family of eels. They are in the suborder Anguilloidei. Anguilla anguilla is the type species. Most of them are extant. Aside from the living species, there are also prehistoric eels.
They spend their adult lives in freshwater, but migrate to the ocean to spawn. Eels are an important food fish. Some species are now farm-raised, but not bred in captivity. Many populations in the wild are now threatened. Seafood Watch recommends people avoid eating anguillid eels.
The first fossils of eels is found at the start of the Palaeocene, just after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 mya. If prehistoric eels like Urosphen were still alive, they would have replaced the extant eels.
