African mottled eel

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African mottled eel
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Anguillidae
Genus: Anguilla
Species: A. bengalensis
Subspecies: A. b. labiata
Trinomial name
Anguilla bengalensis labiata
(Peters, 1852)

The African mottled eel is a species of eel in the genus Anguilla of the family Anguillidae.

Showing the typical characteristics of the Anguillidae, this species grows to 1.75 m and as much as 20 kg. The adult diet consists of crabs, frogs and insects as well as fish.[1] It is found in east Africa: Lake Kariba, middle Zambezi, Pungwe and Buzi systems, Upper and Lower Save/Rhunde system, Umzingwani and Limpopo rivers. The dorsal side of the fish is mottled yellow olive, the ventral surface lighter; adults are less obviously mottled than the juveniles.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Anguilla bengalensis labiata". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 05 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
  2. ^ Species Fact File: African Mottled Eel (Anguilla bengalensis labiata). The Zimbabwe Fisherman On-line.