Video: Sharptail Eel Caught Off The Rocks

September 2, 2011

An afternoon of fishing off the rocks brought up an expected catch – a Sharptail eel. There have been several instances of locals catching the eels – which can grow up to 3 feet long – while fishing off the rocks this summer.

The video below [which appears to contain some swearing, so please turn down your volume if desired] shows a group of friends, guest workers in Bermuda, showcasing the eel and expressing their amazement.

A spokesperson from the Environmental Department said, “The video shows a Sharptail eel Myrichthys breviceps, native to the Atlantic and the species has been noted in local waters.”

“They feed mainly on invertebrates and can burrow tail first into the sand. Over the summer there have been several instances where these eels have been caught while fishing off the rocks along the southshore.”

“Most eels will only bite in self defense or out of curiosity. While they are not venomous their mouths are full of bacteria and bites can become infected. So caution should be taken if caught.”

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Category: All, Environment, Videos

Comments (5)

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  1. Dawn de Toilet says:

    They should have put it in a bucket of salt water and carted it off to the aquarium where we could all have a look. I for one would have been interested in seeing this creature.

    • Watching Patiently says:

      they’re quite cool. used to have reports of “sea snakes” in certain areas.. only to find out that they were these. they look very convincing thats for sure..

      yeah would have been awesome to have one at the aquarium for sure.

  2. shame says:

    and this is why there’s so little fish off the rocks lately..
    they should’ve just let it go…
    there was no reason to kill it

    • United says:

      Are you kidding me? When we used to fish off the rocks at West Side we caught fish but ONE AT A TIME. You talk like these guys are casting nets and dragging tons of fish onto the land. Relax, there are plenty of fish in the sea.

  3. Choy Aming says:

    Actually there are not plenty of fish in the sea! The latest scientific evidence puts a date of 2048 for the END OF SEAFOOD! Yes, there will pretty much be no fish in the sea after this date if current trends continue. The environmental degradation of the planet is far worse than most people think.

    Also, these are quite rare creatures around here. If you are going to catch it, at least put it in a bucket, check it out and throw it back. Hanging it in the air like that is just cruel, it is slowly “suffocating” as it can’t take oxygen out of the air. People need to be schooled in what to keep and what to throw back. I recently helped with the eagle ray legislation because people were eating them. Yes, guest workers like these were eating eagle rays. Actually, why should I care, I have seen all the cool stuff. Its our children that won’t get to!