Story: Eels

Finding food

Finding food

In this overhead view of a stream bed at night, the white line shows the path taken by a longfin eel searching for food (red dot). It navigated in total darkness and used the odour plume coming downstream from the food. Researchers found that eels detecting the odour plume immediately swam quickly upstream, and if they lost the scent they swam more slowly across the stream until they found the food.

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NIWA – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

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How to cite this page:

Paddy Ryan, 'Eels - New Zealand eels', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/10112/finding-food (accessed 6 May 2024)

Story by Paddy Ryan, published 24 Sep 2007