The Mystery of Eels

Though much of the natural world is discovered and understood, a few great mysteries remain. Consider the eel distastefully snake-like and slimy, with strong jaws and rows of sandpapery teeth. Aside from these fearsome qualities, we know little about the life of this amazing fish. Where it goes, what it does, and how it dies, nobody knows. Hailed by poets as the siren of the North Sea and love's arrow on Earth, this shadowy creature has fascinated researchers for centuries. And now James Prosek, artist, writer, and eminent naturalist, takes on the mystery of eels, shedding light on the cultural history, biology, and economics surrounding the creature, as well as the passions it inspires in those who seek to know it.