Anguilla bengalensis explained

The mottled eel^[1] (Anguilla bengalensis), also known as the African mottled eel, the Indian longfin eel, the Indian mottled eel, the long-finned eel or the river eel,^[2] is a demersal, catadromous^[3] eel in the family Anguillidae.^[4] It was described by John McClelland in 1844.^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[4] The eels feed primarily off of benthic crustaceans, mollusks, finfish and worms.^[7]

Even though widely distributed, the Mottled eel was listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Redlist as of 2019.^[8] Although the eels are too large for use in aquariums, they are commercial in subsistence fisheries.^[4]

The exact classification of the species was a debate in recent times, where some major fish websites (ex. Fish Base) classified the species under the name A. nebulosa. But according to the IUCN Red List 2015 version, the fish species should be classified as A. bengalensis with some subspecies.^[9]

Subspecies

• Anguilla bengalensis bengalensis sometimes known as the Indian mottled eel.
• Anguilla bengalensis labiata sometimes known as the African mottled eel.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Long-finned eel (Anguilla nebulosa) longevity, ageing, and life history.
2. http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=11700&GenusName=Anguilla&SpeciesName=nebulosa&StockCode=12026 Common names for Anguilla nebulosa
3. Web site: Mottled eel (Anguilla nebulosa) - Pictures and facts - Fish @ thewebsiteofeverything.com . 2023-02-20 . thewebsiteofeverything.com.
4. http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/summary/Anguilla-nebulosa.html Anguilla nebulosa
5. McClelland, J., 1844 (5 July) [ref. 2928]Apodal fishes of Bengal. Calcutta Journal of Natural History v. 5 (no. 18): 151-226, Pls. 5-14.
6. 10.1038/179594a0. 13418745. First Record of the Elver of the African Eel Anguilla nebulosa labiata Peters. Nature. 179. 4559. 594–5. 1957. Frost. Winifred E.. IMAMURA K. 1957Natur.179..594F. 4298572. free.
7. https://archive.today/20130412212429/http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/TrophicEco/FoodItemsList.php?vstockcode=12026&genus=Anguilla&species=nebulosa Food items reported for Anguilla nebulosa
8. Pike, C. . Crook, V. . Gollock, M. . Jacoby, D. . 2019 . Anguilla bengalensis . 2019 . e.T61668607A96227813 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T61668607A96227813.en . 15 January 2020.
9. Pike, C. . Crook, V. . Gollock, M. . Jacoby, D. . 2019 . Anguilla bengalensis . 2019 . e.T61668607A96227813 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T61668607A96227813.en . 9 January 2020.