Status of New Zealand fresh-water eel stocks and management initiatives. Water temperature and upstream migration of glass eels in New Zealand: implications of climate change. Factors associated with the distribution and habitat of eels (Beentjes, M. P., Boubée, J. "Sex Determination in Freshwater Eels and Management Options for Manipulation of Sex." "Optimal management of the New Zealand longfin eel (Jellyman, D. J. Davey, A., & Jellyman, D. (2005). "Size and age of migrating New Zealand freshwater eels (Jellyman, D. J. "Longevity of longfinned eels Jellyman, D., & Tsukamoto, K. (2010). Longfin eels are long-lived, migrating to the Pacific Ocean near Tongato breed at the end of their lives. Males average 66.6 cm but reach up to 73.5 cm in length, with an average age of 23 years (12–35 years).Determining longfin sex is difficult as their sexual organs are not determined until they are over 45 cm in length.The New Zealand longfin eel is a very long-lived fish, with records of females reaching 106 years old and weighing up to 24 kg.Longfin eels life cycle like other species of Anguillidae eels is rather complex consisting of four distinct life stages which remained a mystery for many decades and still is not fully understood.New Zealand longfins breed only once at the end of their lives, making a journey of thousands of kilometres from New Zealand to their spawning grounds near Tonga.Longfin eels are often found great distances inland (up to 361 km) along fresh waterways and in high country lakes which are connected to the sea.Where in a waterway longfin eels live depends on their life stage.
It is the largest freshwater eel in New Zealand and the only endemic species – the other eels found in New Zealand are the native shortfin eel (Anguilla australis), also found in Australia, and the naturally introduced Australian longfin eel (Anguilla reinhardtii).
Scott Govier, a commercial fisherman, caught the massive conger eel - which weighs around 59kg and measures 20ft - in his net while trawling … August, S., & Hicks, B. (2005). Description and behavior. Vertical migrations may control maturation in migrating female Jellyman, D. (2006). Doole, G. J. Histopathological observations in European glass eels ( The easiest way to identify the longfin eel is by the length of its fins: the Female longfin eels are larger and longer-lived than males.
(2008).
As juveniles, they prefer shallow water (under 0.5 m deep) with coarse Longfin eels are an important traditional food source for Scientists and conservation groups have growing concern for the survival of the species, as they can be legally fished and have a slow reproduction rate, breeding only once at the end of their lifetime.In June 2012 it was reported that some pet food companies use the nationally threatened eels in their products, sparking outrage by conservationists.Todd, P. R. (1980). (1977). (2007).
The eel record is the longest-standing on the British freshwater list. A ‘potential record’ eel has been found during a fish survey by the Environment Agency on the River Thames at Richmond, Surrey.The specimen measured an almighty 139cm, and according to length-to-weight conversion charts the fish would weigh around 12lb 10oz.This would obliterate the current British record of 11lb 2oz, caught by Steve Terry back in 1978 from Kingfisher Lake in Hamshire. Chisnall, B. L., Jellyman, D. J., Bonnett, M. L., & Sykes, J. R. (2002). "Summer upstream migration of juvenile freshwater eels in New Zealand." Non-fishing mortality of freshwater eels (Rodríguez, A., Gisbert, E., Rodríguez, G., & Castelló-Orvay, F. (2005). They are good climbers as juveniles and s… A. T., Jellyman, D. J., & Graynoth, E. (2005). EA Fisheries Officer Joe Northgarden said that he was reluctant to reveal the exact weight of this fish because the EA “doesn’t want people to be targeting it.” The fish was returned unharmed to the water. The record size ocean sunfish crashed into a boat off Bird Island, Australiain 1910 and measured 4.3 m (14 ft) from fin-to-fin, 3.1 m (10 ft) in length and weighed about 2,300 kg (5,100 lb), while the biggest Mola alexandrini was also coincidentally 2,300 kg in mass a… The world's biggest conger eel ever recorded was a gigantic fish of 350lb found trapped in nets off Iceland's Westmann Islands. Tagging along when longfins go spawning. Spatial and temporal variability in length of glass eels (Jellyman, D. J. Potential Record Eel discovered July 1, 2019 A ‘potential record’ eel has been found during a fish survey by the Environment Agency on the River Thames at Richmond, Surrey. The New Zealand longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) is a species of freshwater eel that is endemic to New Zealand. European congers have an average adult length of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in), a maximum known length of around 2.133 m (7 ft 0 in), and maximum weight of roughly 72 kg (159 lb), making them the largest eels in the world by weight. (1995a).
Glova, G. J., Jellyman, D. J., & Bonnett, M. L. (1998). The specimen measured an almighty 139cm, and according to length-to-weight conversion charts the fish would weigh around 12lb 10oz.