Eels Can Escape Predators

Japanese eels possess a remarkable ability to escape predatory fish by reversing through their gills after being swallowed. A team at Nagasaki University discovered this phenomenon while conducting experiments where eels were x-rayed and introduced to dark sleeper fish, with some eels managing to escape roughly a third of the time. This behavior, while intriguing, is not foolproof; many eels found themselves stuck or only partially escaping. It raises questions about the eels’ survival strategies in the wild, suggesting their adaptability to dangerous situations.