River Eels


Appearance

River Eels can grow to length of up to twelve feet long. Their bodies range in color from marine blue, and green, to dull brown. All River Eels have a bright, bioluminescent series of chemical globules along their sides which create a deep blue light. They can activate and deactivate these lights at will. Near the front of their heads, in-between the upper a lower jaw they possess the most concentrated chemical lights of all, when activated these will create a flash of blue so bright that it momentarily exceeds the sun. River Eels use this to disorient, stun, or blind their prey. Their bodies though thin are extremely well muscled allowing them to weave their way across land like snakes or slice through water with unmatched speed.


Habitat

River Eels prefer to live in cool or cold water and thus they usually remain near the poles. They generally dislike open water and avoid large lakes and still water, as their name suggests, their preferred habitat is within steadily flowing or strong rivers, and they deviate from this habitat only to migrate or lay eggs.


Life, Hierarchy and Breeding

From a brood of eggs, less than ten River Eels usually hatch. Females will lay several thousand eggs at once within a well protected submerged area, preferably a hollow log or cave. The eggs themselves are very small, less than an eighth of an inch in diameter. Rockfish are their biggest threat, these creatures, despite being less than a foot long, are very dangerous. They travel in schools of between twenty and a hundred members, and every member has a voracious appetite. Their favorite food is in fact River Eel eggs and they are the primary predators of these creatures, preying on them well into their adult life. Rockfish schools will attempt to locate and infiltrate River Eels nests and feed on the eggs before they hatch, most of the eggs laid will be eaten in this manner. A breeding pair can do very little to protect the eggs once they are found, any attempt to do so would result in being assaulted by the entire schools of Rockfish which can easily result in death. Despite this, some parents will attempt to defend the eggs; ultimately it depends on the personality of the individual Eels.

Those eggs that do survive, whether by chance or because of the efforts of their parents will travel with them as they grow. River Eels grow quite rapidly and can reach six feet within a year if they receive enough sustenance. However, competition is fierce and even adult River Eels are vulnerable to Rockfish mobs. River Eels are pack animals in every sense of the word, travelling in tightly knit family groups and sharing a family territory. As a matter of fact River Eel pairs mate for life. The pack structure offers some protection against Rockfish mobs and a strong family unit is easily able to fend off all but the most vicious attacks. Once a group of young River Eels reaches maturity their parents will migrate with them in an attempt to find another family, once this intersection occurs the groups will evaluate one another. If a friendship is formed between two packs the young River Eels from each family group will pair up and become mates. This forges a permanent bond between them.


Diet

River Eels are deadly predators in their own right, in general however, River Eels will go after prey smaller than themselves, whether on shore or in the water it makes no difference to them. Their favorite prey is the small deer-sized mammals that come to drink at the water's edge. Unless two family groups are in a a territorial conflict River Eels are never cannibalistic.

Cool creature, especially the chemical lights they have.

Thank you. These are my all-time favorites! I enjoyed writing about them.