A variable oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) hunts a young European eel (Anguilla anguilla) on Muriwai Beach near Auckland, New Zealand. Juvenile European eels are called glass eels due to their translucent nature. Because the species is considered critically endangered, Europe has banned exports of European eels—which in turn led to a rise in the trafficking of American eels, as National Geographic reported in 2017.