AnAge entry for Anguilla anguilla

Classification (HAGRID: 03792)

Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia
    Phylum: Chordata
        Class: Teleostei
            Order: Anguilliformes
                Family: Anguillidae
                    Genus: Anguilla
Species: Anguilla anguilla
Common name: European eel
Synonyms: Anguilla vulgaris

Maximum longevity: 88 years (captivity)
Source: ref. 2
Sample size: Small
Data quality: Acceptable
Observations: In the wild, these semelparous animals die after first spawning. After transformation from juvenile to adult stage they do not eat and feature elevated corticosteroids while they migrate to the Sargasso Sea to spawn. Preventing migration by keeping animals in captivity significantly extends lifespan. One female called "Putte", generally assumed to be a European eel, died at Halsinborgs Museum in Sweden at about 88 years of age [0002]. In the wild, animals do not commonly live more than 10-15 years, though it is possible some live up to 30 years [0454].

No information on metabolism is available.

[0523] Das (1994), Age determination and longevity in fishes (PubMed)
[0232] Corda et al. (1991), Age-related decrease in the density of benzodiazepine recognition sites in the brain of the fresh water eel (Anguilla anguilla) (PubMed)
[0002] Caleb Finch (1990), Longevity, Senescence, and the Genome
[0454] Froese and Pauly, FishBase