The mysterious life and times of eels
No-one knows exactly how eels reproduce. That matters for the future of the species
“ALL THE important questions...have been settled,” Max Schultze, a German biologist, opined on his deathbed in 1874. “Except the eel question.”
Few outside biology would have understood what vexed him. Fishermen had no trouble finding eels: records of eel fisheries went back centuries, and the fish made up a third of Europe’s freshwater catch by value. Chefs had no shortage of answers on how to cook them. In the early 20th century, “Larousse Gastronomique”, the definitive guide to French cooking, listed 45 different ways to prepare them, from marinated to poached in onions.
This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline "The known unknowns"
Christmas Specials December 21st 2019
- How the world’s old printing presses are being brought back to life
- What does it take to become a death-row detective?
- A look inside the factory around which the modern world turns
- The mysterious life and times of eels
- How China made the piano its own
- How the planets got their spots
- Can technology plan economies and destroy democracy?
- Hard times and hotplates in the most diverse district in Africa
From the December 21st 2019 edition
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