The eelpout is an inhabitant of the cooler, northern European coastal waters. It is found down to 40 meters deep and can survive well in brackish water. It was a common species in the Wadden Sea up till 1990, but has since become a rarity. This benthic fish eats mostly small crustaceans (gammarids, copepods, shrimp and larvae from larger crustaceans) and young molluscs.