Page 150 - The Miracle of Migration in Animals

THE MIRACLE OF MIGRATION IN ANIMALS

Eels:
Remarkable
Adventurers in
the Ocean

In the Sargasso Sea, located
south of Bermuda in the North Atlantic
Ocean, strong North Atlantic current and
gentle winds prevail. It is also the start
and end point of one of the longest
oceanic migrations made by freshwa-
ter eels.
The eels undertake one of the
most inexplicable and remarkable
migrations of all. As many as 720
species of eel inhabit the rivers
and streams of Europe and North
America, and the birthplace to mil-
lions of these is the Sargasso Sea. But no
adult eel has ever been caught there, be-
cause after hatching, they quickly leave
this region and swim to the rivers of
Europe and America. Later when they
reach maturity, about the age of 15, they migrate
back to Sargasso and after spawning, die there. The young eels (called
elvers) that hatch continue their migration back to fresh water. 43
Their adventure prompts questions that various research pro-
jects over the years have sought, but failed, to answer:
- Why do they return, years later, to die in the region they de-
serted shortly after hatching?

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