Tuna - longfin eel
Fast Facts
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Longfin eel are the biggest freshwater eel in the world and are our top freshwater predator.
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Males grow up to 1m long
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Females can grow to 2m in length!
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Are endemic - found no-where else in the world.
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Like to spend daytime under banks, rocks and logs.
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Come out at night to feed on insect larvae, snails, fish, koura, dead animals and birds.
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Longfin eels by John Sullivan @Flickr
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Have bad eyesight but an amazing sense of smell. (their nostrils stick out from the end of their nose)
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Have small rows of small sharp teeth that point backwards.
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Have slime that helps them to breed and protects their skin out of water. They produce more slime when stressed and absorb 50% of their oxygen through their skin.
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Young eels are called elvers and some can climb 40 metre high obstacles.
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Longfin eels have an amazing lifecycle (click the image to go to a larger version)
Check out the video below to learn more about tuna, and how Ngāti Hikairo and Genesis Energy are working together to help them.