COM & .NET Component Services

Colophon

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The animals on the cover of COM and .NET Component Services are moray and conger eels. Eels make up the 10 families of fish belonging to the order Arguilliformes. Known for their snakelike body with no hind fins, eels can move through water, mud, and rocky crevices. Most eels are less than three feet long, but freshwater conger eels can grow as large as nine feet. Until the 20th century, little was known about the life cycle and migration of eels. Scientists now know that American and European eels travel long distances during their reproductive cycles. The female eels generally mature in freshwater lakes and travel to the nearest ocean, often slithering over wet grass and mud during the journey. Then they swim or drift from Europe or North America to the Sargasso Sea. There, the females lay up to 20 million eggs and then die. The egg-larvae then drift either to North America (after one year) or back to Europe (after three years). After reaching their home continent, the eels complete their cycle by gathering at the mouths of rivers and swimming upstream. Eels are also known for their oily meat, cherished by some as a culinary delicacy.

Ann Schirmer was the production editor for COM and .NET Component Services. Paulette Miley and ...