Pacific shortfinned eel
| Pacific shortfinned eel | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Anguillidae |
| Genus: | Anguilla |
| Species: | A. obscura
|
| Binomial name | |
| Anguilla obscura Günther, 1871
| |
The Pacific shortfinned eel (Anguilla obscura), also known as the Pacific shortfinned freshwater eel, the short-finned eel, and the South Pacific eel,[2] is an eel in the family Anguillidae.[3] It was described by Albert Günther in 1871.[4] It is a tropical, freshwater eel which is known from western New Guinea, Queensland, Australia, the Society Islands, and possibly South Africa.[3] 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.[3]
The Pacific shortfinned eel feeds primarily off of bony fish (including the genus Oreochromis),[5] crustaceans and mollusks. It is a commercial eel in subsistence fisheries.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Pike, C.; Crook, V.; Jacoby, D.; Gollock, M. (2020). "Anguilla obscura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T196302A176496284. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T196302A176496284.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Common names for Anguilla obscura at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ a b c d Anguilla obscura Archived 2013-04-12 at archive.today at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Food items reported for Anguilla obscura at www.fishbase.org.
Further reading
[edit]- Beumer, JP; Pearson RG, Penridge LK (1981). "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. 92: 85–90.
((cite journal)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Ege, Vihl (1939). "A Revision of the Genus Anguilla Shaw: a systematic, phylogenetic and geographic study". Dana Report (16): 1–156.
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