Anguillidae
Sign in to saveThe Anguillidae are a family of ray-finned fish that contains the freshwater eels. All the extant species and six subspecies in this family are in the genus Anguilla, and are elongated fish of snake-like bodies, with long dorsal, caudal and anal fins forming a continuous fringe. They are catadromous, spending their adult lives in freshwater, but migrating to the ocean to spawn.
Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- OrderAnguilliformes
- FamilyAnguillidae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Description
- Sensory
- Physiology
- Other features
- Distribution and conservation
- Biology
- Reproduction and life cycle
- Commercial importance
- Systematics
- Species
- Paleontology
- References
The Anguillidae are a family of ray-finned fish that contains the freshwater eels. All the extant species and six subspecies in this family are in the genus Anguilla, and are elongated fish of snake-like bodies, with long dorsal, caudal and anal fins forming a continuous fringe. They are catadromous, spending their adult lives in freshwater, but migrating to the ocean to spawn.
Eels are an important food fish and some species are now farm-raised, but not bred in captivity. Many populations in the wild are now threatened, and Seafood Watch recommends consumers avoid eating anguillid eels.