Tuna

                                           Tuna

Opening statement:

The shortfin eel is smaller than the longfin eel.The scientific name for eel is Anguilliformes. In maori they are referred to as the Tuna.The number of longfin and shortfin eels are decreasing because of commercial fishing practices and rivers drying up.

Appearance:

Eel are small they have very smooth head’s but as they grow their head’s grow bulbous (fat or round) with a muscular dome behind the eye’s.They also change shape when they get ready to move to their new breeding grounds.they also have eyes that are bullet like.

Bevhauior:

When the eel reach their destination The female eel lays millions of eggs that are fertilized by the male eel.The larvae are called A leptocephalus and look nothing like an eel their a transparent flat leaf shaped.Then longfin eel breed only once at the end of their life.Then when they are ready to breed they leave new zealand to the subtropical pacific ocean.To Spawn in the very deep ocean trenches.

Diet:

Small longfin eels are living in the river gravels will feed on insect larvae worms and water snails. When they get bigger they begin to feed on fish. They will also eat freshwater crayfish and even small birds like ducklings.Eels also eat their food well they are still alive.

General statement:

The longfin eels can live up two 25 to 80 years old and the shortfin lives up to 15 to 18 years old.Also most people don't eat the longfin because they have toxic inside of them.there is a big loss in the long because of the wetlands.The mother eel also dies after they lay their eggs and somehow the baby eel gets back to the some river from where their mother was.