Speckled longfin eel

Last updated

Speckled longfin eel
Anguilla reinhardtii.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Anguillidae
Genus: Anguilla
Species:
A. reinhardtii
Binomial name
Anguilla reinhardtii

The speckled longfin eel, Australian long-finned eel or marbled eel (Anguilla reinhardtii) is one of 15 species of eel in the family Anguillidae. It has a long snake-like cylindrical body with its dorsal, tail and anal fins joined to form one long fin. The dorsal fin also often extends farther than the anal fin. It usually has a brownish green or olive green back and sides with small darker spots or blotches all over its body. Its underside is paler. [2] It has a small gill opening on each side of its wide head, with thick lips. It is Australia's largest freshwater eel, and the female usually grows much larger than the male. [2] [3] It is also known as the spotted eel.

Contents

Description

Long-finned eels can grow to 1.6 metres and 22 kg (although generally to 1 metre) for females while males are much smaller at 650 mm and 600 g. [4] Landlocked eels have been reported to grow to 3 metres (10 feet). [3]

Distribution

The long-finned eel is a native of New Guinea, eastern Australia (including Tasmania), Lord Howe Island, and New Caledonia. [2] It can be found in many freshwater areas, including creeks, streams, rivers, swamps, dams, lagoons, and lakes although generally more often in rivers than lakes. [3]

Breeding and migration

Like other Anguilla species, the eel lives predominantly in freshwater rivers and streams, but is born in deep waters of the ocean. Each species has its own spawning grounds; spawn use ocean currents to return to their adult species range. The long-finned eel spawns in the Western arm of the Southern Equatorial Current, [5] which carries spawn to the eastern coast of Australia. This species is panmictic, spawning throughout the year. [6]

Diet

A carnivorous species, the speckled longfin eel eats an assortment of aquatic vertebrates, such as fish, turtles, and small birds. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American eel</span> Species of fish

The American eel is a facultative catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America. Freshwater eels are fish belonging to the elopomorph superorder, a group of phylogenetically ancient teleosts. The American eel has a slender, supple, snake-like body that is covered with a mucus layer, which makes the eel appear to be naked and slimy despite the presence of minute scales. A long dorsal fin runs from the middle of the back and is continuous with a similar ventral fin. Pelvic fins are absent, and relatively small pectoral fins can be found near the midline, followed by the head and gill covers. Variations exist in coloration, from olive green, brown shading to greenish-yellow and light gray or white on the belly. Eels from clear water are often lighter than those from dark, tannic acid streams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short-finned eel</span> Species of fish

The short-finned eel, also known as the shortfin eel, is one of the 15 species of eel in the family Anguillidae. It is native to the lakes, dams and coastal rivers of south-eastern Australia, New Zealand, and much of the South Pacific, including New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Tahiti, and Fiji.

The Anguillidae are a family of ray-finned fish that contains the freshwater eels. Except from the genus Neoanguilla, with the only known species Neoanguilla nepalensis from Nepal, all the extant species and six subspecies in this family are in the genus Anguilla, and are elongated fish of snake-like bodies, with long dorsal, caudal and anal fins forming a continuous fringe. They are catadromous, spending their adult lives in freshwater, but migrating to the ocean to spawn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eel-tailed catfish</span> Species of fish

The eel-tailed catfish, Tandanus tandanus, is a species of catfish of the family Plotosidae. This fish is also known as dewfish, freshwater catfish, jewfish, and tandan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand longfin eel</span> Species of fish

The New Zealand longfin eel, also known as ōrea, is a species of freshwater eel that is endemic to New Zealand. It is the largest freshwater eel in New Zealand and the only endemic species – the other eels found in New Zealand are the native shortfin eel, also found in Australia, and the naturally introduced Australian longfin eel. Longfin eels are long-lived, migrating to the Pacific Ocean near Tonga to breed at the end of their lives. They are good climbers as juveniles and so are found in streams and lakes a long way inland. An important traditional food source for Māori, who name them ōrea, longfin eel numbers are declining and they are classified as endangered, but over one hundred tonnes are still commercially fished each year.

<i>Anguilla bengalensis</i> Species of fish

The mottled eel, also known as the African mottled eel, the Indian longfin eel, the Indian mottled eel, the long-finned eel or the river eel, is a demersal, catadromous eel in the family Anguillidae. It was described by John McClelland in 1844. It is a tropical, freshwater eel which is known from East Africa, Bangladesh, Andaman Islands, Mozambique, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, and Indonesia and recently from Madagascar. The eels spend most of their lives in freshwater at a depth range of 3–10 metres, but migrate to the Indian Ocean to breed. Males can reach a maximum total length of 121 centimetres and a maximum weight of 7,000 grams. The eels feed primarily off of benthic crustaceans, mollusks, finfish and worms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant mottled eel</span> Species of fish

The giant mottled eel, also known as the marbled eel, is a species of tropical anguillid eel that is found in the Indo-Pacific and adjacent freshwater habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasmanian whitebait</span> Species of fish

The Tasmanian whitebait, also known as the Australian whitebait or Derwent whitebait, is a semi-anadromous osmeriform fish of the family Galaxiidae, found only in Tasmania and southern Victoria, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longfin trevally</span> Species of fish

The longfin trevally, also known as the longfin kingfish, longfin cavalla or armed trevally, is a species of inshore marine fish in the jack family, Carangidae. The species is common in tropical to subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, ranging from South Africa in the west to Japan in the east, typically inhabiting inshore reefs and bays. The species is easily distinguished by its elongate dorsal and anal fin lobes and filamentous dorsal rays, as well as its scaleless breast. Longfin trevally are pelagic predators, taking a variety of small fish, cephalopods and crustaceans, and reach sexual maturity at around 21 cm. The species has a maximum known length of 57 cm and weight of 3.5 kg. The longfin trevally has a very complex taxonomic history which is closely intertwined with another currently valid species, Carangoides ciliarius, which may yet prove to be synonymous. Longfin trevally are of minor importance to fisheries throughout their range and are considered good table fish, and are occasionally taken by anglers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eel</span> Order of fishes

Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longfin crevalle jack</span> Species of fish

The longfin crevalle jack is a recently described species of large marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. It inhabits the subtropical waters of the east Atlantic Ocean, ranging along the African coast from Mauritania south at least to Moçamedes in southern Angola, with the species historically present in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an inshore species, known to occasionally penetrate estuaries, possibly to spawn. The species is very similar to the crevalle jack, Caranx hippos, and is separated by its extended dorsal and anal fin lobes as well as more detailed anatomical features including dorsal and anal fin ray counts. The fish is known to reach 127 cm in length and 20.9 kg in weight. The longfin crevalle jack is a predatory fish, taking small fish as its main prey. Due to longstanding confusion between C. fischeri and C. hippos, the importance of each species to African fisheries is poorly understood, with a known combined catch in this region of between 2,233 and 10,054 tonnes per year in 1995–2004. Like its close relatives, the species is considered a powerful gamefish and highly sought after, although their coarse flesh makes for relatively poor quality food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longfin grouper</span> Species of fish

The longfin grouper, also known as the longfin rockcod, bar-breasted rock-cod, Gilbert's rock-cod, honeycomb rockcod, spotted groper or wirenet cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American conger</span> Species of fish

The American conger is a species of eel in the family Congridae. Other common names for this fish include conger, dog eel, poison eel and sea eel. It is a marine fish with a widespread distribution in the Western Atlantic from Cape Cod in Massachusetts to northeastern Florida in United States and the northern Gulf of Mexico, and is also reported from near the mid-Atlantic island of St. Helena and off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada. Dark grayish color, it can grow to about 6.5 feet (2.0 m) long and weigh more than 40 kg (88 lb).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eel as food</span>

Eels are elongated fish, ranging in length from five centimetres (2 in) to four metres (13 ft). Adults range in weight from 30 grams to over 25 kilograms. They possess no pelvic fins, and many species also lack pectoral fins. The dorsal and anal fins are fused with the caudal or tail fin, forming a single ribbon running along much of the length of the animal. Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. A majority of eel species are nocturnal and thus are rarely seen. Sometimes, they are seen living together in holes, or "eel pits". Some species of eels live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes deep as 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). Only members of the family Anguillidae regularly inhabit fresh water, but they too return to the sea to breed.

<i>Epinephelus cyanopodus</i> Species of fish

Epinephelus cyanopodus, the speckled blue grouper, also known as the blue maori, purple rock cod, speckled grouper or yellowfin grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean where it occurs in corals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longfin snake-eel</span> Species of fish

The longfin snake-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John Richardson in 1848. It has a Dorsal fin beginning above its pectoral fin with a snake-like upper body which is cylindrical, but compressed only along its extreme tail tip. It also has a tubular nostril in front and a nostril along lower edge of the lip in back. Colors range from grey to black to brown. Large longfin snake-eels have wrinkled skin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bean's sawtooth eel</span> Species of fish

The Bean's sawtooth eel is an eel in the family Nemichthyidae. It was described by Theodore Gill and John Adam Ryder in 1883. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from throughout the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Western Pacific Ocean, including Iceland, South Africa, Réunion, and Australia. It dwells at a depth range of 0–5998 metres, and leads a solitary lifestyle. It migrates vertically at night. Males can reach a maximum total length of 78-80 centimetres, making it the largest sawtooth eel.

Galaxias mcdowalli, McDowall's galaxias, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in Australia.

Galaxias oliros, the obscure galaxias, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in Australia.

Galaxias supremus, the Kosciuszko galaxias, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in Australia.

References

  1. Pike, C.; Crook, V.; Gollock, M. (2019) [errata version of 2019 assessment]. "Anguilla reinhardtii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T196303A154801946. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T196303A154801946.en . Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Allen, G.R.; Midgley, S.H.; Allen, M. (2002). Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth, Western Australia: Western Australian Museum. p. 64. ISBN   0-7307-5486-3.
  3. 1 2 3 Merrick, J.R.; Schmida, G.E. (1984). Australian Freshwater Fishes, Biology and Management. Sydney: Author. pp. 61–63. ISBN   0-9591908-0-5.
  4. Robert McDowall, ed. (1996). Freshwater Fishes of South-Eastern Australia (Rev Ed). Sydney: Reed Books. pp. 42–43. ISBN   0-86622-936-1.
  5. Aoyama, Jun (2009). "Life History and Evolution of Migration in Catodromous Eels (Genus Anguilla)". Aqua-BioScience Monographs. 2: 23. doi: 10.5047/absm.2009.00201.0001 . S2CID   53319110.
  6. Shen, Kang-Ning; Tzeng, Wann-Nian (2007). "Population Genetic Structure of the Year-Round Spawning Tropical Eel, Anguilla reinhardtii, in Australia". Zoological Studies. 46: 451. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.654.2742 .
  7. "Anguilla reinhardtii". www.jcu.edu.au. 2015-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-22.