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.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written 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