Photo: wilbanks from Nishiki Ichiba, Nakagyo, Kyoto / CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Anguilla japonica
Japanese Eel
Freshwater
About this species
A catadromous eel that grows in East Asian rivers and estuaries before spawning far out in the Pacific. Snake-like and nocturnal, it hides in mud and rocks by day and hunts by night. A beloved grilled delicacy, though wild stocks are now scarce.
Season
123456789101112
Depth
0 – 10 m
Habitat Spots
RiverEstuaryLake
Fishing Methods
Bottom
Bait & Rig
Worms, cut fish or shrimp on a bottom rig fished after dark near cover.
Edibility & Taste
Rich, fatty flesh celebrated grilled as unagi; wild fish are increasingly rare.
Similar Species
Told from marine congers by its rounded fins and freshwater habitat.
Record Weight
2 kg