The most common species, which grows to more than a metre in length and up to 10 kg. Its dorsal fin exceeds the anal fin.
Longfin (Anguilla diefenbachii)
Has dorsal and anal fins almost matching. Large eels have been known to eat small fish, rats, young birds and ducklings, dead or alive.
Males reach maturity between 11 – 34 years, females 24 – 47 years. They spawn usually just once in their lifetime.
‘Big Mamma’ is Napier’s large short fin eel who was caught in a farmer’s lake and brought to the aquarium in 1990. ‘Big Mamma’ is tame and can be hand fed.
In the early lifecycle of the southern hemisphere eel, the small transparent fish swim into waterways as juvenile eels called ‘elvers’. They grow quickly, eating insects, fish and anything else they find edible. 