Monsters among us: human-sized sea creatures discovered 5,000 km from their home (3 photos + 1 video)
A slippery yellow-green sea animal born in the cold depths of the ocean has been discovered thousands of kilometers from its habitat. 
American eels can grow up to 152 centimeters in length and weigh up to 7.2 kilograms. These animals are born in the cold, deep waters northeast of the Caribbean Sea, but this time the eel was spotted more than 5,000 kilometers from its birthplace.
Typically, during the first year of their lives, eels reach the shores of the United States as small, transparent "glass eels" before reaching adulthood and wandering along coastal rivers and nearby ocean habitats in search of food. However, they are rarely seen in the interior of the country. 
However, this record holder managed to reach Kansas and is considered the only one who managed to move so far inland. However, despite such a long journey, the huge eel will still return to the Atlantic to spawn. Scientists note that at the end of their life, American eels embark on their final journey, where females lay millions of eggs before dying.
According to scientists, there are still many mysteries in the life history of this species. American eels are known to reach the shores of the United States with an indeterminate sex and only years later, moving thousands of kilometers along the coast to spawn once and die. 
A rare specimen of the American eel was discovered by invasive species researchers sent by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Back then, scientists were working to stop the spread of Asian silver carp, but they came across something more surprising. The study's authors note that this marks the first confirmed sighting of the species in Kansas for the first time in 10 years. A huge eel was discovered during water sampling.
Previous studies have already shown that each American eel began its journey in the Sargasso Sea and traveled thousands of kilometers. Unlike most other seas, the Sargasso Sea is landlocked and is a part of the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by a complex of four currents.
Scientists have also found that this region is the starting and ending point of the life of American eels: they are born here, and then at the end of their lives they return to this place for their last and only spawning. This deadly urge to reproduce is a trait these eels share with Pacific salmon and similar species that marine biologists and fishery experts call "seelbearers."
According to the researchers, spawning usually occurs in late winter and early spring, and therefore the eels face a difficult and long journey during this period. The American eel was previously common in coastal rivers up and down the Western Hemisphere, from Greenland to Brazil and inland, but the construction of dams has stopped the species' migration.
