The terrifying way that eels escape a hungry fish s stomach

For most animals, finding themselves inside a predator's stomach usually spells the end. However, Japanese eels defy this grim expectation with remarkable resilience. A groundbreaking study published on Monday in *Current Biology* sheds light on these eels' astonishing escape tactics. Scientists have captured on film juvenile Japanese eels performing a dramatic escape act from within the stomach of a predatory fish. 

Once swallowed and deposited in the fish's stomach, these young eels execute a remarkable escape maneuver: they swim up through the predator's esophagus and make their way out through an opening in the fish's gills. This escape, described as Houdiniesque due to its ingenuity, leaves the predator in a rather unfortunate state.

This study marks the first time researchers have observed such a detailed escape process from within a predator's stomach. The discovery raises intriguing questions about whether other slender-bodied species might employ similar techniques to evade their predators.