See it: Massive American eel makes rare appearance in unexpected Midwestern waters
The average size for a female American eel is 16 to 33 inches, and males usually only reach 18 inches long.
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HANNIBAL, Missouri - A massive American eel measuring over 3 feet long was caught during a fish survey in the Mississippi River in Missouri, exciting conservationists on the mission.
The eel was caught over the summer by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and members of the Illinois River Biological Station near Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River.
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The American eel has a slender, snakelike body with a small pointed head with a yellow or white belly, its back and sides are brown or green and the belly is yellow or white. The dorsal, tail and anal fins form a single, continuous fin.
An American eel appears lies on the edge of the waters of the Mississippi Sound in a file image from 2010. (James Edward Bates/Biloxi Sun Herald/Tribune News Service / Getty Images)
The fishing survey was aimed at blue suckers, not eels, so when the eel was caught, it measured 37 inches, with conservationists marveling at the rarity.
A photo shows how large the eel was in one of the conservationist's arms.
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MDC Resource Management Technician Christian Goodson proudly holds a rare, 37-inch American eel, that was found in the Mississippi River during late summer. (Missouri Department of Conservation)
The MDC said that the eel's size and where it was discovered are unusual for the species. All American eels discovered in Missouri waterways are female, the MDC said.
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The MDC said this is because the life cycle of American eels requires females to travel inland to freshwater locations before returning to the ocean to breed.
"With dams and other obstacles increasingly limiting their travel corridors, this has reduced the ability for the American eel population to use Missouri’s inland waters to aid in their life cycle," the MDC said.
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The average size for a female American eel is 16 to 33 inches, and males usually only reach 18 inches long.
"American eels, the only species of freshwater eel found in North America, are usually found in deep pools around cover such as logs and boulders," MDC Wildlife Biologist Assistant Ashley Johnson said.
After the eel was measured, it was released back into the water.
American eels can be found in most of Missouri except for the southwestern portion of the state.