Japanese eels can escape predators’ stomach through their gills, finds study: « Eels use tail-first technique to back up digestive tract of fish towards oesophagus before coming out of gills. »
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/09/japanese-eels-escape-predator-stomach-gills-study
2 Comments
« The researchers add the elongated shape of the eels may have aided their escape by increasing the chance of their tail remaining in the predator’s oesophagus when swallowed headfirst. They are now planning to explore specific factors that could be involved in a successful escape, with experiments involving other eels and fish with a similar body shape. »
Reference: Yuha Hasegawa et al., How Japanese eels escape from the stomach of a predatory fish, Current Biology, Volume 34, Issue 17, R812 – R813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.023