FISHES OF THE GULF OF MAINE 



79 



Color. — The color varies widely with the bottom on which the eel lives. As a 

 rule it is dark muddy or olive-brown above, more or less tinged with yellow on the 

 sides; the lower surface paler brown and yellower, with dirty yellowish-white belly. 



General range. — The area of distribution of the eel is peculiar. It lives most 

 of its life and makes most of its growth in the estuaries and fresh rivers tributary 





Fig. 33. — Common eel (Anguilla rostrata) 



a. Adult, b, Leptocephalus stage, 49 millimeters, c, Leptocephalus stage, 55 millimeters. After Schmidt, d, Leptoceph- 

 alus stage, 5S millimeters. After Schmidt, e, Transformation stage, 61 millimeters. After Schmidt. 



to the east coast of America, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence south to the Gulf of 

 Mexico and to Brazil, and is common in the West Indies and at Bermuda. It 

 moves out to sea to spawn, however, as described hereafter (p. 81). 



