American Eel
Anguilla rostrata (Lesueur, 1817)
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Teleostei |
| Order | Anguilliformes |
| Family | Anguillidae |
| Genus | Anguilla |
| Species | Anguilla rostrata (Lesueur, 1817) |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygoxene
- Realm
- Aquatic
Distribution
Range
Known from 11 counties across two states.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Florida, Georgia
Counties
- Florida
- Holmes, Jackson, Leon, Madison, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
- Georgia
- Decatur
Conservation and management
IUCN Red List
EN Endangered
Assessed in 2023.
NatureServe
G4 Apparently Secure
National ranks
- Canada
- N3N Vulnerable (non-breeding)
- United States
- N4 Apparently Secure
Subnational ranks
- Ontario
- S1 Critically Imperiled
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- S3N Vulnerable (non-breeding)
- Nova Scotia
- S3N Vulnerable (non-breeding)
- Quebec
- S2 Imperiled
- New Brunswick
- S4N Apparently Secure (non-breeding)
- Prince Edward Island
- S2N Imperiled (non-breeding)
- Saskatchewan
- SNA Not Applicable
- NH
- S3 Vulnerable
- Massachusetts
- S3 Vulnerable
- Maryland
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Minnesota
- S3 Vulnerable
- Connecticut
- S5 Secure
- Pennsylvania
- S5 Secure
- Nevada
- SNA Not Applicable
- Florida
- S3 Vulnerable
- West Virginia
- S2 Imperiled
- Virginia
- S5 Secure
- Indiana
- S2 Imperiled
- Tennessee
- S3 Vulnerable
- Texas
- S4 Apparently Secure
- South Dakota
- SU Unrankable
- Iowa
- S3 Vulnerable
- Illinois
- S2 Imperiled
- NE
- SNR Unranked
- Louisiana
- S4 Apparently Secure
- ME
- S5 Secure
- RI
- S5 Secure
- Vermont
- S2 Imperiled
- DE
- S5 Secure
- Alabama
- S5 Secure
- Mississippi
- SU Unrankable
- Missouri
- SU Unrankable
- New Mexico
- SX Presumed Extirpated
- Wisconsin
- SU Unrankable
- South Carolina
- S2 Imperiled
- Michigan
- SNA Not Applicable
- Arizona
- SNA Not Applicable
- Oklahoma
- S3 Vulnerable
- Arkansas
- S3 Vulnerable
- Kansas
- S2 Imperiled
- New York
- S2 Imperiled
- Georgia
- S3 Vulnerable
- Ohio
- S2 Imperiled
- NJ
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Kentucky
- S3 Vulnerable
- District of Columbia
- S4 Apparently Secure
- North Carolina
- S4 Apparently Secure
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
References
- Caine, E.A. 1974. Adaptations to species-specific habitats by epigean and troglobitic crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidae). Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. 85 pp.
- Caine, E.A. 1978. Comparative ecology of epigean and hypogean crayfish (Crustacea: Cambaridae) from northwestern Florida. The American Midland Naturalist 99: 315–329. doi:10.2307/2424809
- Franz, R., Bauer, J. & Morris, T. 1994. Review of biologically significant caves and their faunas in Florida and south Georgia. Brimleyana 20: 1–109. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/229726.
- Helfman, G.S. 1986. Diel distribution and activity of American eels (Anguilla rostrata) in a cave-spring. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 43: 1595–1605. doi:10.1139/f86-198
- Hobbs, H.H. Jr. & Means, D.B. 1972. Two new troglobitic crayfishes (Decapoda, Astacidae) from Florida. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 84: 393–410. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34563471.
- Hobbs, H.H. Jr., Hobbs, H.H. III & Daniel, M.A. 1977. A review of the troglobitic decapod crustaceans of the Americas. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 244: 1–183.
- Hobbs, H.H. Jr. & Franz, R. 1992. Procambarus (Ortmannicus) attiguus, a new troglobitic crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) from the Saint Johns River basin, Florida. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 105: 359–365. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35607532.
- Morris, T.L. 2006. A biological inventory of aquifer caves in Florida with special emphasis on troglobitic crustaceans and salamanders. Final report S0057 to Florida Department of Environmental Regulation. Karst Environmental Services, Inc., High Springs, Florida, USA. 44 pp.
- Poucher, S. 2011. A Field Guide to the Critters of Florida's Springs. National Speleological Society, Huntsville, Alabama, USA. 124 pp. ISBN 978–1-879961–42–5.
- Poucher, S. 2022. Wildlife of Florida's Springs. An Illustrated Guide to over 150 Species. Pineapple Press, Palm Beach, Florida, USA. 196 pp. ISBN 9780000000000.
- Pylka, J.M. & Warren, R.D. 1958. A population of Haideotriton in Florida. Copeia 1958: 334–336. doi:10.2307/1439974
- Sawicki, T.R. 2022. Unusual cave encounters. In: Poucher, S. (ed), Wildlife of Florida's Springs. An Illustrated Guide to over 150 Species, p. 124. Pineapple Press, Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
- Streever, W.J. 1992. Report of a cave fauna kill at Peacock Springs Cave System, Suwannee County, Florida. Florida Scientist 55: 125–128. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24320493.
- Walsh, S.J. 2001. Freshwater macrofauna of Florida karst habitats. Proceedings of the 2001 U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group, USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 01–4011: 78–88. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_talks/101/.
How to cite this account
Anguilla rostrata (Lesueur, 1817). Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-2179. https://cavebiology.org/species/anguilla-rostrata/ (accessed 7 September 2026).
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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