Eel Identification with pic? Help me out here

[jbird69]

I hiked down into a canyon to fish for rainbow trout in a river in oregon. I came across 2 guys fishing a hole and we exchanged pleasantries. They said, "Oh, Hey! do ya know what these are?" pulling up a stringer of large, decapitated fish. I took one look and said, "yeah, theyre endangered bull trout, which, if caught, youll pay a heavy fine and do some jail time". They wanted to start something with me at that point so I left them alone.
As an ambassador to my sport and the streams that support it, I hiked out, called the DFG and turned them in. It worked out nicely as there was an officer in the area and more than happy to pay them a visit.
Fools like them are a big reason those fish are declining.

Just a little story of harvesting unidentified species.

We are buying fish that are mostly harvested legally and mostly have a reputaion for domestic survivability. I certainly wouldnt buy something Ive never seen before. let alone capture something and bring it home.
Anyone who buys something they know nothing about and then posts a "what is this and how do I care for it?" thread, usually get slammed pretty good here, dont you think thats going to happen with this thread?
I personally cant believe the support youve gotten thus far. pretty sad IMO.

 

[elegance coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14733030#post14733030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rendogg
Yeah, I used to collect things I had no idea how to keep and put them in my aquarium....when I was a child. I've grown up a little, and I now realize animals live longer and are more interesting to look at if you know what they are and how to keep them.

It's disturbing to see so many people, eager to defend their "right" to collect whatever suits their fancy without any knowledge of these creatures.....it's making you look like ignorant rednecks!

These are eels. Not some strange exotic critter we know nothing about. It's a carnivore. It feeds on small fish and crustaceans. We don't need to know the exact species to know that. You can look at the animal and tell that much. The OP knows what habitat the animal lives in because he collected them there. What more does he need to know about this creature? He can feed it. He can duplicate its natural environment, at least within reason. We don't know much more than that about most of the critters we keep.

 

[rendogg]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14733285#post14733285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by freddy4130
Ignorant rednecks. LOL. I'd rather be an ignorant redneck in America than a genius sophisticate in Canada. [/QUOTE

No comment necessary, but we have rednecks too.... and maybe I'm a little flattered:lol:

 

[BS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14733339#post14733339 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jbird69

We are buying fish that are mostly harvested legally and mostly have a reputaion for domestic survivability.

How many Die for every One you buy? Mostly Legally?

 

[luther1200]

If you really think that no fish that get caught for this hobby are endangered, or that don't belong in aquariums then you are being naive.

 

[BS]

+1

 

[Littleg182]

Oh boy, all this commotion...the eels are in the holding tank with the DSB now. They all have their heads sticking out of the sand, some completely buried. I've been in class all day and now starting to feed with just a few silversides. They seem to be more active with no light and they seem to have "squinty eyes" when I have the light on. Hopefully they will adjust, or at least some will adjust.

The Echiophis looks close but the spot pattern on the Echiophis looks to be random and a bit smaller. The spots on mine are large and have a distinct pattern...running down the top on each side. The mouth is also slightly different. I'll have to find my old dichotomous key book from Ichthyology and see if I can come up with anything.

Mattmcf - If these don't acclimate well, I now know a new spot for bait!...thanks for the tip

Jbird69 - Irresponsible?....somewhat......am I allowed to collect them?.....yes. Heck, I could have scoured the beach looking for them and waited until every single one of them popped up and used them as bait. Is that irresponsible? I knew they were some sort of snake eel and I knew the regulations on collecting. Plus being a Marine Biology major (graduating next month) makes me that much more interested in organisms I do not know about.

Rendogg - You're correct, it's not necessarily a right it's more of a privilege. Also, enough of your irresponsible judgement garbage. If they were Echiophis I see that the population doubling time is a bit longer than the others, making it's susceptibility to extinction or localized extinction greater....but they are not. So calm down

WOW imagine if I would have collected 21 of them..1 over the limit, some members might show up at my door. I will keep you guys updated as I find out more. I might take one in to one of my professors and see if he might know definitively. Ridiculous eel police!

 

[elegance coral]

I think I found it. Mystriophys intertinctus.
http://everglades.fiu.edu/reclaim/monographs/pdfs/FI07100913/sliced/Chapter 11.pdf

 

[elegance coral]

The strange part is that the only info I can find on it is from 1902?

 

[BS]

Maybe this would have went better if your post went like this:

Hey anyone know what kind of Eels these are..... I fried a couple last night and they sure were tasty :smokin:

 

[Littleg182]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14733339#post14733339 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jbird69
I hiked down into a canyon to fish for rainbow trout in a river in oregon. I came across 2 guys fishing a hole and we exchanged pleasantries. They said, "Oh, Hey! do ya know what these are?" pulling up a stringer of large, decapitated fish. I took one look and said, "yeah, theyre endangered bull trout, which, if caught, youll pay a heavy fine and do some jail time". They wanted to start something with me at that point so I left them alone.
As an ambassador to my sport and the streams that support it, I hiked out, called the DFG and turned them in. It worked out nicely as there was an officer in the area and more than happy to pay them a visit.
Fools like them are a big reason those fish are declining.

Just a little story of harvesting unidentified species.

We are buying fish that are mostly harvested legally and mostly have a reputaion for domestic survivability. I certainly wouldnt buy something Ive never seen before. let alone capture something and bring it home.
Anyone who buys something they know nothing about and then posts a "what is this and how do I care for it?" thread, usually get slammed pretty good here, dont you think thats going to happen with this thread?
I personally cant believe the support youve gotten thus far. pretty sad IMO.

Jbird - thanks for the story....If you know the area you fish (especiallllly freshwater streams) you generally know what lives in them and what you can keep and what you cannot. They obviously weren't from the area. I am not retarded and I do know what I am doing. I'm not asking questions on how to take care of them or "what is this long spotty snake fish like thing? Is it a fish? a snake? an elephant? You're making it sound like I have no idea what I am doing. Thanks for judging and your insight on nothing, you could teach a lot of my classes at school (seriously). This is one thing that I hate about some of the people on forums, everyone has different beliefs morals ethics etc. If I wanted your opinion on how I should feel about the ethics or morality of my decision to collect these eels I would come to you. But sh** I just wanted help with an ID!

 

[BS]

+1

 

[BS]

just in case you see it my way http://www.fishex.com/recipes/batters/tempura-batter.html
yummy

 

[Littleg182]

If these eels don't cooperate I'm heatin up the fryer. Anyone ever had tempura batterd snake eel? Come to think of it, i'm out of fish in my freezer and I haven't had groceries for a while now...it could happen.

 

[BS]

I'll bring the hushpuppies......:beer:

 

[BS]

http://www.recipelink.com/mf/0/72699

 

[Littleg182]

http://www.nowpublic.com/strange/eel-drink-goes-sale-japans-hot-summer
"It's the hottest season of the year in Japan, and that means it's eel season. So, bottom's up!

A canned drink called "Unagi Nobori," or "Surging Eel," made by Japan Tobacco Inc., hit the nation's stores this month just ahead of Japan's annual eel-eating season, company spokesman Kazunori Hayashi said Monday.

"It's mainly for men who are exhausted by the summer's heat," Hayashi said of the beverage, believed to be the first mass-produced eel drink in Japan.

Many Japanese believe eating eel boosts stamina in hot weather.*

The fizzy, yellow-colored drink contains extracts from the head and bones of eel and five vitamins _ A, B1, B2, D and E _ contained in the fish.

The Japanese particularly like to eat eel on traditional eel days, which fall on July 24 and Aug. 5 this year."

I could always make a drink out them?

 

[BS]

:beer: I'll drink to that

 

[Littleg182]

http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/identification/specieslist.cfm?famcode=66&areacode=

 

[jbird69]

Well, I just re read your original post, You really had no clue of what you collected according to your post.
So your practicing to be a marine biologist and your asking us for an ID? And when you catch a little flack for what you did youre surprised?.... Well, anyway, you have fun with your new friends.