January 16, 2025

Amazing animals – eel science with Kelly Osterberg

12 minutes

Let’s get slimy with five fascinating fast facts about eels, an intriguing story about long-finned eels from Kelly Osterberg, an educator who knows a LOT about eels, and a gooey eel activity for you to cook up at home.

Written, presented, and produced by Jenny Lynch.

Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

02:21 The lives of long-finned eels

09:05 Glass eel noodle activity

WaterNSW Warragamba Dam website https://www.waternsw.com.au/nsw-dams/greater-sydney-dams/warragamba-dam

WaterNSW Education website (for Teachers) https://www.waternsw.com.au/education

Glass Eel Noodle Activity instructions

You will need:

A heat-proof cup, such as a teacup or a small mug, 2 tablespoons of potato starch, 1 tablespoon of boiling water, a metal teaspoon, a small saucepan, a stove, and a strainer.

WARNING! An adult must do the steps that use boiling water.

WARNING! Glass eel noodles have a very chewy texture. They should not be eaten by very young children or anyone who has trouble with chewing food.

Add the 2 tablespoons of potato starch to a heat proof cup, such as a teacup or a small mug.

Add 1 tablespoon of boiling water to the potato starch and mix thoroughly using a metal teaspoon.

Use your hands to knead the mixture until it forms a smooth dough.

Break the dough in half and then divide each half into about 6 equally sized pieces.

Roll each of the 12 pieces of dough into a thin eel shape, about 5 to 7 cm long.

Boil water in a small saucepan and add the eels to the boiling water, one at a time, so they don’t stick to each other.

Boil the eels for about 15 minutes until they are almost completely transparent.

Use a strainer or colander to carefully strain the eels and then rinse the eels in cold water.

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By Creative Science Australia Pty Ltd