The Pacific shortfinned eel (Anguilla obscura), also known as the Pacific shortfinned freshwater eel, the short-finned eel, and the South Pacific eel,[2] is an eel in the family Anguillidae.[3] It was described by Albert Günther in 1871.[4] It is a tropical, freshwater eel which is known from western New Guinea, Queensland, Australia, the Society Islands, and possibly South Africa.[3] The eels spend most of their lives in freshwater, but migrate to the Pacific Ocean to breed. Males can reach a maximum total length of 110 centimetres, but more commonly reach a TL of around 60 cm. The Pacific shortfinned eel is most similar to Anguilla australis (more commonly known as the Short-finned eel), and Anguilla bicolor (the Indonesian shortfin eel), but can be distinguished by the number of vertebrae.[3]
^Günther, A., 1871 (Apr.) [ref. 1997] Report on several collections of fishes recently obtained for the British Museum. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1871 (pt 3): 652-675, Pls. 53-70.
Beumer, JP; Pearson RG, Penridge LK (1981). "Pacific short-finned eel, Anguilla obscura Gunther, 1871 in Australia: recent records of its distribution and maximum size". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. 92: 85–90.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Ege, Vihl (1939). "A Revision of the Genus Anguilla Shaw: a systematic, phylogenetic and geographic study". Dana Report (16): 1–156.