Anguilla reinhardtii
(Long-finned Eel, Marbled Eel)
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FAMILY |
Anguillidae |
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Species |
Anguilla reinhardtii |
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Common name(s) |
Long-finned Eel, Marbled Eel |
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Main colour(s) |
Olive to brown with blotches |
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Body size |
Av about 100 cm but may be up to 200 cm long |
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Campus |
Cairns, Townsville |
Description
This large eel prefers areas with flowing water but it will live in deeper reservoirs. Males and females similar in size and appearance. It has a long snake-like body with a small head, the jaws extend beyond the position of the eyes. The body is green to green-brown with numerous dark blotches on the body, underbelly paler; pectoral fins are present. They are carnivorous feeding on a wide range of aquatic vertebrates, including fish, turtles and small birds. Adults migrate downstream and offshore to spawn in deep water somewhere out in the Coral Sea. Juvenile stages only migrate back into freshwater to mature.
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