Whose work first described the larval stage of eels in the open ocean?
Quick Answer
Biologist Johannes Schmidt traced European eel larvae, called leptocephali, across the Atlantic in the early 20th century. His work showed that eels spawn far out at sea, in the Sargasso Sea.
The Full Story
Johannes Schmidt’s early 20th-century research solved one of marine biology’s great mysteries: where European eels reproduce. By collecting tiny transparent larvae called leptocephali across the Atlantic, he traced their distribution back to the Sargasso Sea. This suggested that adult eels migrate thousands of kilometers from European rivers to spawn in the open ocean. His work remains a classic example of using larval biology to solve an oceanographic puzzle.
Key Facts
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"The eel mystery that took a scientist across the Atlantic"