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Pacific shortfinned eel

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Species of fish

Pacific shortfinned eel
Conservation status

Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification Edit this 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, is an eel in the family Anguillidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1871. It is a tropical, freshwater eel which is known from western New Guinea, Queensland, Australia, the Society Islands, and possibly South Africa. 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.

The Pacific shortfinned eel feeds primarily off of bony fish (including the genus Oreochromis), crustaceans and mollusks. It is a commercial eel in subsistence fisheries.

References

  1. 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.
  2. Common names for Anguilla obscura at www.fishbase.org.
  3. ^ Anguilla obscura Archived 2013-04-12 at archive.today at www.fishbase.org.
  4. Günther, A., 1871 (Apr.) 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.
  5. Food items reported for Anguilla obscura at www.fishbase.org.

Further reading

  • 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.
Taxon identifiers
Anguilla obscura


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