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How do ocean currents spread eel larvae far from spawning areas?

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American eel (Anguilla rostrata) — eel The American eel (*Anguilla rostrata*) is found in habitats along the coast of eastern North America.

Eel larvae, known as leptocephali, are free-floating organisms that rely on ocean currents to disperse from their spawning grounds to their adult habitats.12

These larvae inhabit the upper 500 meters of the ocean, where they are transported over vast distances by major surface currents. For example, the successful recruitment of European and American eels depends on the Gulf Stream to carry them from their spawning areas in the Sargasso Sea toward their respective freshwater habitats.132

Additionally, larvae can actively influence their horizontal transport by performing vertical migrations. Because ocean currents often differ in direction and speed at varying depths—such as above and below thermoclines or haloclines—larvae can move between these layers to utilize specific currents that facilitate their dispersal. This behavior allows them to navigate effectively through the water column to reach suitable environments for growth and development.21