#longfin eel

[this-great-world]

New Zealand Longfin Eel

[lilliths-matori-blog]

@fishyfishyfishtimes

[anguilliforme]

absolute winner cap design found at the big design market

[raindrop-stimmies]

Longfin eel (dredge) stimboard!

🌴🪨🌴

🪨🐍🪨

🌴🪨🌴

[drhoz]

#2582 - Aguilla dieffenbachii - New Zealand Longfin Eel 

AKA ōrea.

Aotearoa's only endemic freshwater eel (the other two are variously also found in Australia, or introduced from Australia) and the largest. Females can be over a meter and a half long.

A very important food for the Māori, but now numbers have seriously declined and the species is considered endangered. One reason is that they only mate once, and they take 20 to 60 years to reach adulthood. When they do, they leave freshwater and head far out to sea to the ocean near Tonga, breed, and die. Only a handful of the 1 to 10 million eggs each female lays will survive to repeat the process.

If they can't find a way back to the sea (rare, since they can cross open ground if they have to) the females reabsorb their eggs and can live past a century. The ones in the tank at the Hotitika National Kiwi Centre used to live in a pond behind a canning plant where food was abundant and life carefree.

The returning young are pretty agile too, as their swim upstream - elvers have been seen climbing near vertical surfaces over 40m high.

The eels are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders - you may have seen the video where they descend on a pizza like elongated pirahna.

Hokitika, Aotearoa New Zealand.

[spineless-lobster]

When I hear about the hydra’s toxic blood I’m like “cool, mythology!” but then I learn that three tablespoons of longfin eel blood can kill someone

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #406

New Zealand longfin eel!

It is one of three freshwater eels found in New Zealand, distinguished from the rest by its dorsal fin that extends noticeably longer than the anal fin (hence the name)! It is very long lived, some individuals living to be over 100.

[secretary-stars]

@fishpostings

IMPORTANT QUESTION.

Favourite kind of fish? Favourite species of fish?

Mine are eels, specifically spotted snake eels (they're very pretty) and gulper eels (they're really interesting) and green moray eels (i've seen some in the wild) with honorary mentions to nz longfin eels (i've seen many in the wild because they are everywhere, also they are some really cool fish), how about yours?

Also what are your opinions on crabs?