Eunuch Eels

[Mighty_Emperor]

In FT182:58-59 Jon Downes suggests that it is possible that some of the northern European lake monsters and are in fact diseased "Eunuch Eels" (i.e. ones not returning to the Sargasso Sea to mate, spawn and die - great album too ) but it strikes me that such a creature seems nealry as mysterious as Nessie and at a possible 20ft long pretty impressive in their own right - what do other people know about them?

Its said that one was found in the Birminghm Ship Canal 20 years ago but others have been found around Europe - any other info?

I'll Google it up tomorrow but its late and I thought I'd drop this noe in while I remembered as I've forgotten twice already

Emps

 

[Anonymous]

Well it sounds more rational that the idea of prehistoric monsters surviving within the limited ecosystem of Loch Ness (and other lakes). He also pointed out in the article that eels, being fish, have gills and so would not need to surface as often as air breathers would. This has always been a strong argument against mammals or reptiles in the lakes as they should in fact be seen frequently, given the need to surface to breathe. That said I know next to nothing about eunuch eels, but it does open up a new area for investigation.

 

[evilsprout]

It was a fascinating theory, I have to say. Maybe the small gene pool of the loch could make such mutations more common?

 

[Bullseye]

Its a possibility. Large eels are always females,the only reason they leave freshwater is to go and breed,most fish will keep growing for most of their lives, if an eel did'nt have the "urge" to reproduce it could well just stay in freshwater till it died of old age.Good theory.