For most animals, ending up in a predator＊s stomach means all is lost. But not for Japanese eels.
In a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology, scientists filmed juvenile Japanese eels staging Houdiniesque feats of escape from inside a predatory fish. After being swallowed and deposited into the fish＊s stomach, the young eels swam up the hunter＊s esophagus and escaped through an opening in its gills, much to the fish＊s displeasure.
This is the first time scientists have been able to see exactly how a prey species escaped a predator＊s stomach. Researchers now wonder if other slender-bodied species use the same lifesaving technique.
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