| Family: |
Anguillidae (Freshwater eels) |
| Max. size: |
130 cm TL (male/unsexed); 106.5 cm TL (female); max.weight: 7,480.0 g; max. reported age: 32 years |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 3000 m, catadromous |
| Distribution: |
Southwest Pacific: east coast of Australia and New Zealand, extending north to New Caledonia. Museum records from Fiji and Tahiti are doubtful. Australian and New Zealand forms sometimes recognized as subspecies. Most easily confused with Anguilla obscura and the surest way of distinguishing them is to count the vertebrae. Reported from Western and American Samoa (Ref. 592). |
| Diagnosis: |
|
| Biology: |
Occurs in streams, lakes and swamps. More likely inhabits slow flowing streams or still waters (Ref. 26509). Feeds on fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, worms, aquatic plants, and terrestrial and aquatic insects. This species does not breed outside its Pacific spawning ground. Migrates to the sea to breed (Ref. 9258). Maximum length for female eel taken from Ref. 6390. Migrating females in Lake Ellesmere (Canterbury, New Zealand) were reported to be in the range of 48.3 to 102.4 cm, larger than for males 33.8 to 55.4 cm (Ref. 44724). Despite its slimy appearance, its flesh is of excellent quality, considered a delicacy in many countries; meat suitable for smoking (Ref. 33839). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Near Threatened (NT); Date assessed: 06 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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