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Eel seems not be be accepted as kosher, and I’m wondering why, for example the species unagi. As far as I can see, it has fins and scales, though both are small.
Thank you for raising the issue. For a scale to be a kosher sign, it must be easily removable from the skin of the fish, whether by hand or by knife, and without tearing the skin. This is not the case with eels; thus we consider them non-kosher.
(Sources: Leviticus 11:9 with Ramban, Remah to Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 83:1.)
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