Origin
New Zealand, around the country in lakes and rivers.
Found
Pollution, loss of vegetation near their habitat, building of dams and overfishing.
Status
At Risk - Declining.
About
Longfin Eel, Longfinned Eel
Maori name: Tuna.
Anguilla dieffenbachii.
The New Zealand Longfin Eel is one of the largest eels in the world. They are slow growing and may reach 100 years of age or more. Females can grow to two metres in length.
When they are ready to breed at maybe 20 or 30 years old, they travel huge distances to the sub-tropical Pacific Ocean near Tonga where they then die after spawning. Their larvae drift all the way back to New Zealand on ocean currents, where the then tiny glass eels turn into baby elvers and make their way inland via rivers and lakes (and even overland in damp areas). Eels are great climbers and have been known to climb waterfalls up to 40 metres high.
Eels hunt at night and have a great sense of smell, using their tubular nostrils that extend above their top lip. They spend most of the day resting under shady areas and logs so you may need to spend time looking for them in their pool.
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