A Good Means of Defence

Wildlife biologist Guy Verreault explains the purpose of the mucous that covers an eel’s skin.

A close-up head and shoulder view of Guy Verreault appears on the screen. He is facing the camera and gestures with his hands from time to time as he speaks.

[Guy Verreault] If you handle an eel, you’ll see that it’s covered with a large amount of mucous. It’s a form of protection for eels. It protects them from external pathogens, bacteria and so forth.

A teenage girl standing in the collecting box of an eel trap tries to prevent an eel from slipping out of her hands.

It also means that it’s extremely difficult to try and pick up an eel. Every other type of fish can be handled quite easily.

A close-up head and shoulder view of Guy Verreault reappears on the screen. He is facing the camera and gestures with his hands from time to time as he speaks.

You can prevent an eel from escaping if you hold it firmly. The more force you use, the easier it will be for the eel to get away.

So, it’s a means of defence.