Yes, that is a "glass eel".
Specifically, a glass eel is the young eel larva, referred to as leptocephali. The American Eel is a freshwater eel from the family Anguilidae that migrates to the ocean to bear its young. The leptocephali grow to their mid-stage form, known as glass eels, and begin to travel up estuaries to fresher water. Once they become more pigmented, they are then known as elvers and they begin to look more like eels.
It's impossible to know for sure, but depending on the area where you were shrimping, that particular specimen was probably Anguilla rostrata, the American Eel, or Anguilla obscura, the Pacific shortfinned eel, both of which are generally the most common species found in the US.
Yes, unfortunately at times, I am full of useless information.....
Reply With Quote