300 American Fisheries Society 



These creatures go to sea to the region indicated on the chart 

 exhibited. They doubtless spawn at considerable depth, prob- 

 ably 1,000 feet or more. No eel eggs have ever been col- 

 lected, probably for the reason that when they are brought 

 up in collecting nets from that great depth they rupture and 

 we never get anything in the way of a perfect tgg. 



The young eels gradually come to the surface and pass 

 to the shores of the respective continents. Just as in the 

 case of the Pacific salmons, the freshwater eels of America and 

 Europe spawn only once and die. It is not known exactly 

 what happens at the spawning time, but there is reason to 

 believe that a gelatinous degeneration of the entire animal 

 takes place, as is known to occur in some other species of eel. 

 I believe I have seen a freshwater eel in Japan that had 

 begun to thus degenerate. It was obtained far out at sea 

 and brought into a little inn on the Japanese coast where I 

 was staying. It had the consistency of blanc-mange; you 

 could cut it with a fork. I believe that is all I need say. 



