Eel Life Cycle Exploration
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Eel Life Cycle Exploration
Fact file: the longfin eel
The longfin eel, or tuna, is native to Aotearoa New Zealand and is found nowhere else naturally. It can live in rivers, lakes and wetlands for many decades. Young eels arrive at the coast after developing at sea, then travel into freshwater. As they grow, glass eels become pigmented elvers and then larger eels. Longfin eels feed on animals such as insects, fish and small crustaceans, and are also prey for some birds and fish. When mature, longfin eels make a remarkable migration from freshwater to the Pacific Ocean to reproduce. Their exact spawning location is not fully known, but it is thought to be in the ocean near tropical Pacific islands. After spawning, adults are believed to die. Longfin eel eggs hatch into tiny, leaf-shaped larvae called leptocephalus larvae. These larvae drift with ocean currents towards New Zealand. As they approach land, they change into transparent glass eels. Barriers such as dams can block their journey upstream, while pollution and loss of wetlands can reduce the places where eels feed and shelter. Tuna are taonga for Māori and have long been valued as kai. Kaitiakitanga includes caring for tuna and the waterways they depend on. Protecting river connections, wetlands and clean water helps support the eel’s whole life cycle.
Investigate the life cycle
Use the fact file to answer the questions. Explain your thinking where asked.
- Leptocephalus larva
- Glass eel
- Elver
- Mature eel
3 printable pages
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
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