American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) life stages 3D-printable files
$20.00
This 3D printable American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) model set includes four distinct life stages: leptocephalus, glass eel, yellow eel, and adult silver eel. Each stage is modeled separately and scaled appropriately, with early life stages enlarged for clarity and later stages represented at life-size.
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✅ What You CAN Do:
- Download and 3D print the files for your own personal enjoyment
- Display your prints at home or in public (with attribution)
- Modify or remix the files for your own use
- Share photos of your prints on social media (tag us!)
❌ What You CANNOT Do:
- Sell physical prints - this requires a Commercial License
- Share or distribute the digital files with anyone
- Upload files to file-sharing sites or online repositories
- Use the files for any business or commercial purpose
- Use the files to train AI or machine learning systems
📢 Attribution Required:
When sharing your prints publicly, please give credit:
- Social Media: Tag our account + mention Savi Made in your caption
- Other displays: Include "Model sculpted by Lincoln Savi of Savi Made (savimade.ca)"
Description
American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) life stages 3D-printable files
The American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) has one of the most complex life cycles of any North American fish. Spawning in the open ocean, these eels undergo dramatic physical changes as they migrate between marine and freshwater environments. Each stage of their development looks so different that, without context, they could easily be mistaken for separate species.
This 3D printable model set includes four distinct life stages of the American Eel, each modeled separately to highlight the unique anatomy and scale of that stage.
Stage 1: Leptocephalus (Larval Stage)
The leptocephalus is the earliest life stage of the American Eel. This larval form is thin, flattened, and leaf-like, adapted for drifting in the open ocean. Due to the extremely small size of real leptocephali, this model is scaled to approximately double life-size to make the body shape and proportions easier to see when printed and displayed.
Stage 2: Glass Eel / Elver
As the eel approaches coastal waters, it transforms into the glass eel stage. These juveniles retain a largely transparent body while beginning to take on the elongated shape of an eel. Like the leptocephalus, the glass eel model is scaled larger than life, approximately double life-size, allowing the subtle form of this stage to be clearly visible in a physical model. However, as glass eels grow in size, they start to gain pigment and are eventually referred to as “elvers”. The default size of this model is realistic for an American Eel elver. (The same model can be used for a glass eel or an elver. Just paint it differently)
Stage 3: Yellow Eel
The yellow eel represents the long freshwater feeding stage of the American Eel’s life cycle. During this phase, eels may spend many years growing in rivers, lakes, and wetlands. This model is scaled to life-size and depicts the thicker body, and fully developed eel form typical of this stage.
Together, these four models provide a complete visual overview of the American Eel’s life history, making the set well suited for educational settings, natural history displays, and collections focused on life cycles or aquatic ecology.
The digital files are provided in STL format, packaged in a .zip archive, and ready to print and paint. If you purchase this personal use license from our site, as with any of our models you agree to follow the personal use license agreement.
Stage 4: Silver Eel (Adult)
The silver eel is the final, sexually mature stage of the American Eel. At this point, the eel undergoes changes that prepare it for its migration back to the Sargasso Sea, including enlarged eyes and a silvery sheen. This model represents an adult silver eel at life-size scale for a male, capturing the streamlined form associated with long-distance ocean travel. If you want to print the larger, female, silver eel, increase the scale up to 150% or even 200%.
Our tested print settings: Resin
We successfully printed the Leptocephalus (eyeless version), glass eel (eyeless version), and yellow eel (pec-fin-less halves version) files in clear resin on an LCD 3D printer using these settings:
- Layer height: 0.05mm
- Hollowed: False
Feel free to use these settings as a guide or use your own preferred settings. They’re just the settings that we used when printing.
Due to the nature of resin printing, you will have to determine your own exposure settings because they are different for every brand of resin and printer.
Our tested print settings: FDM
We successfully printed the silver eel model in clear PLA on an FDM printer using these settings:
- Nozzle size: 0.4mm
- Layer height: 0.12
- Wall thickness: 1.2mm
- Infill: 8% gyroid
- Support material: True
We split the model up in our slicing software and added 3D-printed holes and dowels for alignment of the sections. We prefer to print the version with no attached pectoral fins so we can paint the body first and print and attach the pectoral fins after.
Notes on finishing these models
To achieve the appearance of internal eyes in the earliest life stages, we used a layered finishing approach on the models.
The leptocephalus and glass eel were printed with recessed eye sockets rather than fully formed eyes. After cleaning and curing the prints, the sockets were painted first black and then silver to create depth and reflectivity. Once the painted sockets were clearly visible through the head, we filled them with clear 3D printing resin and cured it under UV light. The resin was built up gradually until it just rounded beyond the surface of the head, creating a natural eye shape.
The newly formed outer surface was then painted to resemble an eel’s eye, with a silvery iris and a black pupil. Finally, a thin clear coat of resin was applied and cured to seal and protect the painted details.
Additional information
| Sculpt artist | Lincoln Savi |
|---|---|
| Finish |
