A Giant Eel Just Had His Annual Checkup. It Involved a Barrel and Anesthetic.

Imagine your annual physical, but instead of a waiting room, you're guided into a plastic barrel by divers. Then, instead of a blood pressure cuff, you get a full-body anesthetic bath. Because apparently, that's what it takes to get Thomas, a truly enormous green moray eel, ready for his yearly check-up at the New England Aquarium.

Thomas, a Gymnothorax funebris by his fancy scientific name, is not your average house pet. He's a vibrant, yellow-orange creature with a mouth full of very sharp opinions, and he lives in the aquarium's giant ocean tank. So, when it's time for his wellness visit, the team has to get creative.

First, divers gently coax him into a barrel. Then, Thomas and his temporary housing unit are transferred to a separate tank filled with water. Water, it's worth noting, that has powdered anesthetic dissolved in it. As Melissa Joblon, the aquarium's director of animal health, puts it, they need to be absolutely certain Thomas is fully asleep before anyone gets close. Moray eels, if you hadn't guessed, are not known for their calm demeanor when startled. Or their grip, being notoriously slippery.

Once Thomas is thoroughly snoozing, the real work begins. The team carefully lifts him onto a special rack. To keep him breathing comfortably through the whole ordeal, they continuously flush anesthetic-laced water over his gills. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying.

This isn't just a quick once-over. It's the full VIP treatment: a physical exam, blood tests, a complete ultrasound, and even an electrocardiogram. They're checking everything, inside and out, aiming to catch any potential health issues before they become, well, eel issues. Joblon compares it to taking your cat or dog to the vet for their annual. Except your cat probably doesn't require a barrel and a sedative pool.

Thomas himself is estimated to be between 18 and 21 years old. He arrived at the aquarium as a youngster, donated by a pet owner who found he was getting a tad too large for home care. Which, for a species that can grow up to eight feet long, is a perfectly understandable life decision.