A fascinating species of ocean-born fish has been spotted swimming in the Kansas River for the first time in a decade.

Recently, a group of wildlife biologists discovered a fish thousands of miles away from its spawning location.

The KDWP's Aquatic Invasive Species Crew discovered the American eel while searching for an invasive species at the Kansas River.

According to Fox 4 KC, the KDWP team discovered fish during their sampling activities in the vicinity of Kaw Point.

According to KDWP officials on their Wildlife Diversity Facebook page, every American Eel found in Kansas originated in the Sargasso Sea and will have traveled approximately 3,500 miles.

According to Fox 4, this species is catadromous and migrates from freshwater and estuaries to the Sargasso Sea for spawning during late winter and early spring.

Due to the numerous dams in Kansas, American eels are rarely observed in the state's waters as they hinder the fish's ability to swiftly travel from one river to the next, according to the station.

In 2015, an angler caught an American eel near Lawrence, marking the first confirmed sighting by the KDWP in a decade.

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The Aquatic Invasive Species Crew has discovered the latest American eel sighting in the state after a decade of absence.

Although it is uncommon to find one of these creatures in Kansas, they are not considered endangered.

Despite the low probability of catching an American eel in Kansas, the KDWP maintains records of eels that are caught in the state.

An angler named Ralph B. Westerman caught a 4.44 pound American eel in the Kansas River on June 23, 1987.

According to the KDWP record details, the fish was 35-and-a-quarter inches long and was caught with a rod and reel using a green worm.

Mark Van Scoyoc, a KDWP biodiversity survey coordinator and ecologist, expressed his excitement about the species in a statement to Planet Chronicle Digital, saying, "It is a fascinating species, and I'm glad it's receiving some attention."

According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, American eels will journey from the Atlantic Ocean to North America along the natural flow of rivers and streams and can live up to 40 years before returning to the Sargossa Sea to reproduce.

The American eel is the only freshwater eel found in the U.S., according to the government agency.