Long-finned eels - Murray-Darling Basin Authority

natiVe sPeCies
Common name Long-finned eel (Spotted eel)
scientific name Anguilla reinhardtii Steindachner, 1867
identification
A large, elongate, cylindrical eel. Maximum
size 1650 mm and 22 kg, but typically about
1000 mm and 1–2 kg. The mouth is large,
extending back well past the eye. The back
and sides of the body are distinctly blotched
or mottled with dark brownish spots or
patches. Like the Short-finned eel, the dorsal,
anal and caudal fins are joined. Readily
differentiated from the Short-finned eel by the
spotted body pattern and length of the dorsal
fin, which commences well in front of the
anal fin.
Biology and habitat
Similar to the Short-finned eel but more
commonly recorded in rivers than lakes.
Preferred habitats include undercut banks and
areas with snags. The larvae of Long-finned
eels (glass eels, ~58 mm length) enter estuaries
and migrate upstream to freshwater habitats
where they may remain for up to 52 years
before returning to the ocean to spawn and
die. Long-finned eels in freshwater habitats
generally have a restricted home range of
34
300 m or less, although larger movements
are recorded when the eels return to the
sea to spawn. Size and age range in coastal
Australian rivers varies between the sexes
with females generally larger and older (up
to 52 years of age) than males. Size at sexual
differentiation and migration also varies
between the sexes: males differentiate at 42–
60 cm and migrate at 44–62 cm and females
at 50–76 cm and 74–142 cm, respectively.
The majority of males are found in the tidal
zones whilst females dominate abundance (up
to 97% of individuals) in freshwater habitats.
Like the Short-finned eel, the Long-finned eel
is a nocturnal predator of fish, crustaceans,
molluscs and insects, and the occasional
juvenile waterfowl.
Distribution and abundance
Photo: Gunther Schmida
Eels are generally only recorded from coastal
streams outside the Basin. This species is
more commonly found in lowland sections
of coastal streams although it is occasionally
recorded from upland sections as well.
However, it is far less abundant in upland
Fishes oF the Murray-Darling Basin

iD VALLey
1 Avoca
2 Border rivers
3 Broken
4 campaspe
5 castlereagh
6 central Murray
7 condamine
8 darling
9 goulburn
10 gwydir
11 Kiewa
12 Lachlan
13 Loddon
14 Lower Murray
15 Macquarie
16 Mitta Mitta
17 Murrumbidgee
18 namoi
19 ovens
20 Paroo
21 upper Murray
22 Warrego
23 Wimmera
habitats than the Short-finned eel. The only
known records from the Murray-Darling
Basin are in the Condamine-Balonne drainage
in southern Qld and the Lower Lakes of the
Murray in SA.
Potential threats
None known in MDB, but in coastal
systems barriers to downstream migration of
adults, particularly hydroelectricity schemes
and associated turbines are cause cause for
concern. Overharvesting of larval eels for
aquaculture and adult eels are also potential
threats.
general references
Beumer 1979a, 1996; Koehn & O’Connor
1990; McKinnon 2002; Moffat & Voller
2002; Pease et al. 2003; Sloane 1984a,b;
Walsh et al. 2003, 2004.
An introductory guide 35
Photo: Neil Armstrong

Published by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission
Postal address: GPO Box 409, Canberra ACT 2601
Office location: Level 3, 51 Allara Street, Canberra City ACT
Telephone: (02) 6279 0100, international + 61 2 6279 0100
Facsimile: (02) 6248 8053, international + 61 2 6248 8053
Email: info@mdbc.gov.au
Internet: http://www.mdbc.gov.au
For further information contact the Murray-Darling Basin Commission office on
(02) 6279 0100
This fish fact sheet is an extract derived from the report:
Lintermans, M. 2007, Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin: An introductory guide.
MDBC Publication No. 10/07
ISBN 1 921257 20 2
© Murray-Darling Basin Commission 2007
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Fishes oF the Murray-Darling Basin