Steel Eel

Steel Eels are Boss Salmonids that appear in Salmon Run in Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3.

Description
The Steel Eel consists of a giant steel fish head and inkjets shooting down ink with a Salmonid piloting the machine at the tail. Steel Eels are very long, making it easy to get cornered. The inkjets on its body can instantly kill players with direct hits and block attacks. The only way to destroy this machine is to splat the Salmonid piloting it at the rear.

Quotes
The following text is quoted from the Salmonid Field Guide.


 * Basic Information
 * A weapon made of connected ink-spraying devices for the suppression of large areas.
 * Locks on to and relentlessly pursues a single target.


 * Attack Behavior
 * Its extensive length is used to block routes while it rains down ink.


 * Elimination
 * Can be neutralized by shooting the driver in the very rear of the Steel Eel.


 * Supporting Information
 * The driver of the Steel Eel wears a mask to protect itself from the spray generated by the machine.
 * The great length of the Steel Eel is attributable to the large number of interconnected ink-sprayers used to create it.

Tips

 * A Steel Eel only targets one player.
 * The player being targeted should coordinate their movement with the work crew's location, keeping crewmates safe and exposing the Steel Eel's weak point to them.
 * If the targeted player travels behind the Steel Eel, the Steel Eel will do a U-turn and potentially trap the player or a crewmate.
 * The Steel Eel's pilot looks directly at the player it is targeting. Beware if it is looking at you.
 * Steel Eels are tall enough that they are still capable of splatting users. However, players are capable of getting over a Steel Eel if they boost.
 * Sometimes, there may be multiple Steel Eels moving in a straight line. If this happens, immediately go to the back of the line and splat the pilot and repeat. Another strategy is to have the Steel Eels to chase different crewmates and break up the line.

Trivia

 * The mask worn by the Salmonid driver of a Steel Eel is a typical mask worn in Japan when a person is ill.
 * The pilot of the Steel Eel has a reflective marking on its fin that resembles a stylized Golden Egg.
 * The ink sprayers on the machine are gas containers.
 * Its design could be a reference to the real-life Eurypharynx pelecanoides, also known as Pelican or Gulper Eel.