Giant Mottled Eel

Anguilla marmorata 

Habitat & Distribution :  Indo-Pacific region 

Diet : Fish, frogs, crustacean 

Size: 1,5-2 m 

Lifespan: 20-40 years

Description

The giant mottled eel is cylindrical with small, well-developed pectoral fins and a protruding lower jaw. Unlike other anguillid species, they have a mottled color 

Behavior

Generally living in fresh water, during winter this eel, will swim to the deep sea to breed, especially in the waters of the Philippines, Eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. 

Reproduction

They are catadromous, living up to 40 years in fresh/brackish water before migrating to the deep ocean to spawn and die. Spawning occurs in specific ocean areas, notably west of the Mariana Islands, with larvae drifting on currents to coastlines before migrating upstream as elvers 

Communication & Perception

They generally rely on acute senses (smell, vision) to detect prey, predators, and potentially environmental cues for migration. 

Predator(s)

Sharks, larger predatory fish