Questions about cave eel in Manatee Springs

[Jack Hammer]

I don't recall seeing any but will keep an eye out on my next trip.

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[sdenney]

Thanks everyone. I did find this youtube video regarding the eels in Vortex: https://youtu.be/pcVOp_Icm3s . Hopefully we see more and more of them as time progresses. They are apparently threatened and endangered, mainly due to the numerous dams built on the rivers that constitute their migration route between the gulf and the upstream springs/ caves.

[Kelly Jessop]

Thanks everyone. I did find this youtube video regarding the eels in Vortex: https://youtu.be/pcVOp_Icm3s . Hopefully we see more and more of them as time progresses. They are apparently threatened and endangered, mainly due to the numerous dams built on the rivers that constitute their migration route between the gulf and the upstream springs/ caves.

Interesting that the Florida Natural Area Inventory doesn't have them listed to rank them as far as imperiled status. There are eels in many systems,but their appearance is rare, and often an unique occurrence.

[dogwatch]

Around 30 years ago, eels were pretty common in FL caves, especially on the millpond. Twin used to have dozens of them. I didn't see any last week. I did see one big one in JB though. It is probably a good sign that they may be returning. On the other hand, they "hide" by stirring up silt

Some of them would actually hang on the line in twin until they saw you. There were enough to trash the vis if they wanted to for sure. They could trash the vis in HITW as well.

[sdenney]

I guess they aren't actually threatened and endangered according to the FWS (http://www.fws.gov/northeast/americaneel/). As I've only seen two in my ten years of cave diving, I still think they're pretty rare.

[skip]

They used to be very common in Florida caves. I remember seeing them at times in thick mats like a undulating bedding plane. They are all females. The males stay at sea, or brackish water. They mate in the Sargasso Sea and the young, tiny and transparent swim to the coast, including the gulf, and then the females swim up rivers inland. They travel for years and there is only the one species east of the Mississippi. The females swim back to sea upon reaching reproductive age, join the males, and they all swim back to the sargasso to mate. Unknown is how long they live. Also unknown is whether they come in waves or cycles en masse or if it's continuous. If there is a fifteen or twenty year cycle then it may be time for their return.

[aquadog196]

I dove Jug Hole 3 times during the past month and each time saw an 18" +- eel in the Blue Room swimming along the wall just before entering the cave.

[Jack Hammer]

Saw an eel in the Ear at Ginnie yesterday

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[JE]

I recall seeing a large white stripped eel drop out of the ceiling a ways into Luraville cave & it scared me pretty good. It was black on top with white stripes underneath. Maybe 8ft+ in length. There seems to be many subspecies in various locations thruout North America's caves.....>
http://www.stripers247.com/americaneel.htm
https://www.google.com/search?q=flor...iZ7_eIxtYEM%3A

je

[MichelleC]

... There seems to be many subspecies in various locations thruout North America's caves.....>
...
je

I'm not aware of any subspecies of American Eel. While there are still many unknowns about the Eel, current thought is it is the same species from Venezuela to Greenland, with the Sargasso Sea as their common ground.

http://www.fws.gov/northeast/america...sheet_2015.pdf

The larvae of this snake-like fish passively use ocean currents to leave the Sargasso Sea for homes throughout its fresh- and brackish water range from Greenland south to Venezuela. Eels do not necessarily return to the same areas where their parents grew up; rather, they are randomly deposited into areas out of the ocean currents and then swim to coastal habitats.