The longfin eel (tuna in te reo Māori) is also one of the largest in the world weighing up to 40kg. However nowadays very few large longfin eels are seen anywhere.
Despite being listed as at risk of extinction and desperate calls (from iwi and environmental groups) to stop fishing, the species is still commercially caught.
106yrs
AVERAGE AGE 60yrs
You know if you have a longfin eel if the distance between the ventral and dorsal fins is larger than the length of its pectoral fin.
Longfin eels are more sensitive to pollution than short fin eels. Effluent and fertilizer runoff from farms and industry can remove large quantities of oxygen from the water so the eels have to move away or they will drown.