Tuna is a generic Māori word for freshwater eels. Māori have over 100 names for eels.
I LIVE: lakes and rivers connected to the sea.
I EAT: Small insects larvae, snails, midges and crustaceans. As our mouths get bigger, we can eat kōura (freshwater crayfish), fish, small birds and rats. When scared I bite!
Did you know: I’m the largest fish in Aotearoa freshwaters
There are three tuna species in NZ: The longfin eel, known as tuna, is one of the largest eels in the world.
LONGFIN EEL
(Anguilla dieffenbachii) Max size: 2m, 25kg
SHORTFIN EEL
(Anguilla australis) Max size: 1.1 metre, 3kg
AUSTRALIAN LONGFIN EEL
(Anguilla reinhardtii), Max size: 2 metres, 21kg
My super power is:
I can swim 1000s km in the sea or fresh water
Near the end of my life, I swim from NZ to the deep trenches near Tonga.
This is where I release eggs/sperm to spawn.
Over 10 months, my tiny larvae follow the ocean currents back to NZ.
They develop into transparent glass eels, and swim to rivers.
They turn greyish-brown and become elvers, to grow into strong adults in fresh water
(rivers, lakes, wetlands). Then the swim back to sea and repeat our life cycle.
I help the eco system as a top predator and food source in the marine food chain and help balance the ocean environment.
I am a Taonga species central to the identity and well being of many Māori and are a significant mahinga kai (food).