What the heck is this?

[vtx-coley]

I have no idea, but being from Jersey, I'd like to know what lake.

 

[BigFishKeeper]

What are caecilians??

 

[toddnbecka]

Caecilians are amphibians, also called rubber eels. No gills, no fins, very poor eyesight.

 

[BigFishKeeper]

Caecilians are amphibians, also called rubber eels. No gills, no fins, very poor eyesight.

OK cool.

 

[dixienut]

i don't know but i wouldn't sleep without it being under lock and key...:eek3:

 

[Notophthalmus]

Not a caecilian (these don't occur in North America in any case). Not an American eel. Not a lamprey. Definitely exotic, or else a marine species somehow trapped in the lake (very unlikely).Swamp eel?

*EDIT* Please contact your DNR! Introduced exotics can be bad news, and the sooner they know about this the sooner something can be done! We don't need another snakehead or sea lamprey destroying our native fishes.

 

[catfish69hunter]

Not a caecilian (these don't occur in North America in any case). Not an American eel. Not a lamprey. Definitely exotic, or else a marine species somehow trapped in the lake (very unlikely).Swamp eel?

*EDIT* Please contact your DNR! Introduced exotics can be bad news, and the sooner they know about this the sooner something can be done! We don't need another snakehead or sea lamprey destroying our native fishes.

I AGREE:grinyes::grinyes:

 

[PuppyFluffer]

Interesting.....I want to know what it is!

 

[Notophthalmus]

I posted a link to this thread over at NANFA (I hope you don't mind, Nomad, but I thought it was important). A better ichthyologist than I has confirmed my guess of synbranchid eel, though he didn't provide any further info. I know at least one synbranchid species is established in the canals of south Florida and seems to be doing little harm there, but still: better safe than sorry!

 

[OhioOilMan]

I have seen these a lot around the Ohio River where I live, I have actually caught these while cat fishing we always called them Mud Puppies or Mud eels because they always submerge themselves in mud with just their heads barely above the mud waiting for an innocent fish to swim by then "SNAP" beware they have teeth and lots of them!!