§6.16Αἱ δ’ ἐγχέλυς οὔτ’ ἐξ ὀχείας γίνονται οὔτ’ ᾠοτοκοῦσιν, οὐδ’ ἐλήφθη πώποτε οὔτε θορὸν ἔχουσα οὐδεμία οὔτ’ ᾠά, οὔτ’ ἀνασχισθεῖσαι ἐντὸς θορικοὺς πόρους οὔθ’ ὑστερικοὺς ἔχουσιν· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ὅλον τὸ γένος τῶν ἐναίμων οὐ γίνεται οὔτ’ ἐξ ὀχείας οὔτ’ ἐξ ᾠῶν.
Eels are generated neither from copulation nor do they lay eggs, and no eel has ever been caught having either milt or eggs, nor when cut open do they have either semen passages or uterine passages; but this whole class of blooded animals is generated neither from copulation nor from eggs.
Φανερὸν δ’ ἐστὶν ὅτι οὕτως ἔχει· ἐν ἐνίαις γὰρ τελματώδεσι λίμναις τοῦ τε ὕδατος παντὸς ἐξαντληθέντος καὶ τοῦ πηλοῦ ξυσθέντος γίνονται πάλιν, ὅταν ὕδωρ γένηται ὄμβριον· ἐν δὲ τοῖς αὐχμοῖς οὐ γίνονται, οὐδ’ ἐν ταῖς διαμενούσαις λίμναις· καὶ γὰρ ζῶσι καὶ τρέφονται ὀμβρίῳ ὕδατι.
And it is clear that this is so: for in some marshy lakes, even after all the water has been drained and the mud scraped away, they are generated again when rain-water comes; but in times of drought they are not generated, nor in lakes that remain permanent; for they live and are nourished by rain-water.
Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὔτ’ ἐξ ὀχείας οὔτ’ ἐξ ᾠῶν γίνονται, φανερόν ἐστιν· δοκοῦσι δέ τισι γεννᾶν, ὅτι ἐν ἐνίαις τῶν ἐγχελύων ἑλμίνθια ἐγγίνεται· ἐκ τούτων γὰρ οἴονται γίνεσθαι ἐγχέλυς.
That they are generated, then, neither from copulation nor from eggs is clear; but they seem to some to generate because in some of the eels small worms are generated, from which they think eels are generated.
Τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶν οὐκ ἀληθές, ἀλλὰ γίγνονται ἐκ τῶν καλουμένων γῆς ἐντέρων, ἃ αὐτόματα συνίσταται ἐν τῷ πηλῷ καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ ἐνίκμῳ.
But this is not true, but they are generated from the so-called entrails of the earth, which are spontaneously formed in the mud and in the moist earth.
Καὶ ἤδη εἰσὶν ὠμμέναι αἱ μὲν ἐκδύνουσαι ἐκ τούτων, αἱ δ’ ἐν διακνιζομένοις καὶ διαιρουμένοις γίνονται φανεραί.
And already some have been observed creeping out of these, and others become apparent when these are scraped and cut open.
Καὶ ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ποταμοῖς γίνονται τὰ τοιαῦτα, ὅταν ᾖ μάλιστα σῆψις, τῆς μὲν θαλάττης πρὸς τοῖς τοιούτοις τόποις οὗ ἂν ᾖ φῦκος, τῶν δὲ ποταμῶν καὶ λιμνῶν περὶ τὰ χείλη· ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἡ ἀλέα ἰσχύουσα σήπει.
And also in the sea and in rivers such things are generated, especially when there is putrefaction, in the sea near such places where there is seaweed, and in rivers and lakes near the banks; for there the warmth being strong produces putrefaction.
Περὶ μὲν οὖν τῆς τῶν ἐγχελύων γενέσεως τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον.
Concerning the generation of eels, then, it is in this manner.