EEL LOVE! GILLIAN ANDERSON POSES TOPLESS FOR A CAUSE

The "X-Files" alum is so devoted to the underwater world that she stripped bare for a campaign to stop the destruction of the ocean. But it's quite a photo because she uses an eel -- yes, an eel! -- to cover up her lady bits.

The slithery, slimy creature is looped around the 45-year-old's neck for the unforgettable photo op. She's holding its tail in one hand and raising its head, which is eerily positioned directly at the camera, with the other. The expression on the actress's lightly made up face is a serious one.

WIN: A private 'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues' screening

The photo project was done for the organisation Fishlove and included some other U.K.-based celebrities posing in the buff with critters ranging from bass fish to sharks. Its goal is to raise awareness of how overfishing is destroying the oceans.

The release of Gillian's nearly nude pic, which was snapped by French portrait photographer Denis Rouvre, is timed with a European Parliament vote on banning destructive forms of deep-sea fishing in the Northeast Atlantic.

The Fishlove organisation is trying to rally voters to sign a petition ending deep-sea trawling -- which, according to scientists, is negatively impacting the fish population and their habits -- and Gillian solicited signatures in a Twitter post.

"Join me @fishlove2013 to call on the European Parliament to end destructive deep-sea fishing," Gillian tweeted.

Here's hoping Gillian's eel love pays dividends!

Biggest celeb scandals of 2013

Suzy Byrne writes for omg!'''