Found in the rivers of the North Atlantic, Baltic and Mediterranean Seas; it also occurs along European coasts from the Black Sea to the White Sea in Russia. Spawning takes place in the Sargasso Sea in the western Atlantic (3).
![]() | You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway. |
Part of the common eel's life cycle is spent in the sea, and part in freshwater rivers. It is often common on the shore (2).