Anguillidae

New Zealand longfin eel

Anguilla dieffenbachii

Long lived eels breed near Tonga

• Tropical
• Island endemic
• Southern Hemisphere
• Island endemic species
• Local endemic species
• Restricted distribution
• Pacific Ocean
• Oceania
• Anguilliform
• Large
• Tropical fish

The New Zealand longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) is a species of freshwater eel that is endemic to New Zealand. 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). Longfin eels are long-lived, migrating to the Pacific Ocean near Tonga to breed at the end of their lives.