A new study has revealed the incredible ability of juvenile Japanese eels to escape from the stomachs of their fish predators and emerge unharmed through the gills. The research, published in Current Biology, used X-ray video technology to capture this unprecedented footage.
The team from Nagasaki University observed that out of 32 eels swallowed by predatory fish, all but four attempted to escape by moving back up the digestive tract towards the gills. The average time it took for an eel to escape was around 56 seconds.
The study showed that eels don’t rely on a single escape route, with some approaching the gills while others circled within the stomach, seemingly searching for any possible exit. This reveals the survival strategies that eels have adapted to avoid being eaten by their many predators.
This groundbreaking research has opened up new avenues for studying predator-prey interactions and may provide insights into the characteristics that enable some eels to escape while others do not. The team hopes to continue learning more about these remarkable creatures to help protect them from overfishing, pollution, and other threats.
Source: https://thedebrief.org/slippery-situation-japanese-eels-have-evolved-the-ability-to-escape-a-predators-stomach-after-being-eaten/