The snake-like eel, which is a freshwater fish but is nothing like the American eel, so far has populated the numerous canals of southeastern Florida and Georgia's southern waters. Paul Shafland, director of the Non-Native Research Lab for the Florida Fresh Water Fish Commission, thinks the eels have been in Florida for about 10 years.
Asian eels are survivors, however.
They can breathe air, so they can foil a rotenone attack. Having no air bladder, they aren't easily killed by a dynamite concussion. They breed year-round and can change their sex from female to male as they age to balance the breeding population. Some researchers declare that the eels gobble masses of small fish, including baby largemouth bass. Shafland downplays the eel's impact on fisheries, though he thinks they could hurt crayfish populations if they get into the Everglades.