Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica)

Scientific name: Anguilla japonica Temminck & Schlegel, 1846

The Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) is a freshwater fish of the family Anguillidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 4–27°C (39–81°F).

Japanese eel care at a glance

Scientific name: Anguilla japonica
Family: Anguillidae (Freshwater eels)
Order: Anguilliformes (Eels and Morays)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 150
Common length: 40.0
Depth range: 1–400 m (3–1312 ft)
Environment: Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; catadromous; depth range 1 - 400 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Asia: Japan to the East China Sea, Taiwan, Korea, China and northern Philippines. Spawning grounds of this species are presumed to be in the western Mariana Islands, at a salinity front near 15?N and 140?E. Most expensive food fish in Japan. Introduced elsewhere.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.07)

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026