DSC_4464 Longfin eel, or tuna kuwharuwharu (Anguilla dieffenbachii) 'golden eel' - a bright yellow longfin measuring 780mm long, found in the wild. Endemic. Females may live to be 80+ years, growing large and heavy enough to become the 'taniwha' of maori legend. This is possibly the worlds largest freshwater eel, however a dramatic decline in water quality in many areas has resulted in the shortfin eel occupying habitat that formerly held our longfins. Typically golden eels darken with age, as can be seen around the head and lower body of this individual. Waihou River, Te Aroha *
DSC_3239 Longfin eel, or tuna kuwharuwharu (Anguilla dieffenbachii) endemic. Females may live to be 80+ years, growing large and heavy enough to become the 'taniwha' of maori legend. A monster caught in in the Selwyn River in 1903 was short (1.67m), but with a huge girth, and weighed 26 kg. The heaviest longfin eel ever recorded was caught in Queenstown in 1863, it was reputed to weigh 48kg *
DSC_2535 Shortfin eel, or 'silverbelly' (Anguilla australis) head of large migratory male. Also found in south eastern Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island *
