Japanese Eelニホンウナギ

Anguilla japonicaEN— Endangered

The Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) is a catadromous fish native to East Asia, spawning far offshore near the Mariana Ridge before its larvae drift on ocean currents to freshwater rivers in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China, where they grow to about a meter in length. Long prized as a food fish, wild populations have declined sharply since the late 20th century due to falling glass-eel recruitment, poaching, and habitat loss, and the species is classified Endangered by the IUCN.

Japanese Eel (reference photo)
Photo: opencage / CC BY-SA 2.5 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Anguilliformes / Anguillidae Source
Distribution
Found across Japan (southwest Hokkaido and south), Korea, Taiwan, China, and Vietnam, growing in freshwater rivers and lakes before migrating to the ocean to spawn. Source

Did You Know?

  • It can breathe through its skin as well as its gills, allowing it to survive on land for a time as long as its body stays moist. Source
  • Its spawning grounds near the Suruga Seamount on the Mariana Ridge, west of Guam and the Mariana Islands, were identified in 2006. Source

Where to See This Species

1 facilities · 0 individuals

ふくしま海洋科学館 (Fukushimakaiyoukagakukan)FukushimaOpened in 2000

ふくしま海洋科学館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

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Conservation Story

Conservation Status

IUCNではENに分類されています。

Habitat

東アジアの河川、湖、汽水域と西部北太平洋。

Threats

  • 河川の連続性低下
  • 過剰な採捕
  • 生息地の劣化

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

  • 河川環境の改善
  • 種苗生産・完全養殖研究

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Where do Japanese eels spawn?
Near the Suruga Seamount on the Mariana Ridge, west of the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific, a location identified by researchers in 2006. Source
Why is the Japanese eel endangered?
Wild glass-eel numbers have declined since the late 20th century, worsened by poaching and smuggling, leading the IUCN to list it as Endangered in 2014. Source
Can Japanese eels breathe out of water?
Yes, they can respire through their skin as well as their gills, so they can survive on land for a while as long as they stay moist. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org