The eel (ウナギ, Unagi) is a unique riverfish in the Animal Crossing series. It is one of only three fish (the others being the ribbon eel and moray eel) with a long and thin shadow. It is a rather expensive fish. Like many Animal Crossing series fish, the Eel is a summer fish, and appears in the evening and night, between 4 PM and 9 AM.
"Grilled eel is supposedly quite succulent, but I have a bit of advice... Do NOT bring live eels to a cookout. Causes a bit of a scene, don't you know."
The eel can be found swimming close to the bottom and occasionally hiding behind the rocks in the river aquarium in the first fish room.
"Eels are often thought of as river dwellers... but they actually go out to sea to lay their eggs, eh wot? If you can look past their slimy nature, you might notice they have round, expressive little eyes!"
The eel can be found in the right tank in the museum as a brown colored line moving across the bottom.
"Eels are born in the ocean but swim upstream through rivers when they become adults. They do, however, eventually swim back to the ocean when it is time to lay eggs. Their blood can be toxic, which is why you've never heard of eel sashimi. It's just too dangerous. Cooked eel, however, is edible and has no poisonous effects to speak of, making it a popular dish. For a long time, the egg-laying locations and habits of eels were largely a mystery. However, they are gradually being revealed through research, making eels a very hot topic of study."
"Now an eel—you're gonna wanna grill that guy, maybe with a bit of lemon and pepper for added flavor. But raw does just as well in a pinch! I mean, how often do you find yourself at a grill? YUM!"
The American eel, Anguilla rostrata is a fish that spawns in salt water. After hatching, the baby eels make their way to North America, on the east coast. The eels, if hungry enough, may eat their own family to survive the trip to America. They prefer to hunt at night, which is referenced by the time it appears at in Animal Crossing.
↑All bugs and fish in the first-generation games can appear at a lower spawn rate up to five days before the start of their first month of availability.