Pacific shortfinned eel explained
The Pacific shortfinned eel (Anguilla obscura), also known as the Pacific shortfinned freshwater eel, the short-finned eel, and the South Pacific eel,[1] is an eel in the family Anguillidae.[2] It was described by Albert Günther in 1871.[3] It is a tropical, freshwater eel which is known from western New Guinea, Queensland, Australia, the Society Islands, and possibly South Africa.[2] The eels spend most of their lives in freshwater, but migrate to the Pacific Ocean to breed. Males can reach a maximum total length of 110 centimetres, but more commonly reach a TL of around 60 cm. The Pacific shortfinned eel is most similar to Anguilla australis (more commonly known as the Short-finned eel), and Anguilla bicolor (the Indonesian shortfin eel), but can be distinguished by the number of vertebrae.[2]
The Pacific shortfinned eel feeds primarily off of bony fish (including the genus Oreochromis),[4] crustaceans and mollusks. It is a commercial eel in subsistence fisheries.[2]
Further reading
- Beumer, JP; Pearson RG. Penridge LK. Pacific short-finned eel, Anguilla obscura Gunther, 1871 in Australia: recent records of its distribution and maximum size. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland . 1981. 92. 85–90.
- Ege. Vihl. A Revision of the Genus Anguilla Shaw: a systematic, phylogenetic and geographic study. Dana Report. 1939. 16. 1–156.
Notes and References
- http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=7511&GenusName=Anguilla&SpeciesName=obscura&StockCode=7815 Common names for Anguilla obscura
- http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/summary/Anguilla-obscura.html Anguilla obscura
- Günther, A., 1871 (Apr.) [ref. 1997] Report on several collections of fishes recently obtained for the British Museum. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1871 (pt 3): 652-675, Pls. 53-70.
- http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/TrophicEco/FoodItemsList.php?vstockcode=7815&genus=Anguilla&species=obscura Food items reported for Anguilla obscura
