Teleostei (teleosts) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Anguillidae (Freshwater eels)
Etymology: Anguilla: Latin, anguilla, .-ae = eel (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Gray.

Marine; brackish; freshwater; benthopelagic; catadromous (Ref. 51243); tropical; 23°N - 33°S -.

Asia: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, and the East Indies. Reported from Nepal (Ref. 9496, 12045) and Bangladesh (Ref. 1479).

Max length: 200 cm TL male/unsexed (Ref. 85009); common length: 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed (Ref. 4832); max. published weight: 6.0 kg (Ref. 1479).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 250 - 305; Anal soft rays: 220 - 250; Vertebrae: 106 - 112. Body elongate, head conical, flattened dorsally. Mouth terminal, lips prominent, narrow bands of teeth on jaws, broad band on vomer.

Lives in freshwaters, but also occurs in estuaries and in the sea during early life and near maturity (Ref. 4832). Occurs in freshwater streams, pools and reservoirs and commonly found in mud substrates of tanks and in deep rock pools of rivers (Ref. 41236). Most common eel in Indian inland waters. There exists a good export market for both live elvers and eels. Highly prized as food fish because of its nutritional value. Fish mucous from live fish mixed with rice or wheat flour is used as medicine for arthritis (Ref. 44150).

Talwar, P.K. and A.G. Jhingran 1991 Inland fishes of India and adjacent countries. vol 1. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam. i-liv + 1-541, 1 map (Ref. 4832)

  Near Threatened (NT), A2cd; date assessed: August 10 2019

Not Evaluated

Not Evaluated

  Harmless

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Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 26.2 - 29.3, mean 28.3 °C (based on 292 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00076 (0.00037 - 0.00155), b=3.17 (3.00 - 3.34), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.8 ±0.7 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Very low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 25.7 [12.9, 56.8] mg/100g; Iron = 0.5 [0.3, 0.9] mg/100g; Protein = 18.2 [16.3, 20.3] %; Omega3 = 0.246 [0.109, 0.567] g/100g; Selenium = 184 [71, 424] μg/100g; VitaminA = 20.6 [3.6, 106.6] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.956 [0.596, 1.561] mg/100g (wet weight);