Oldest eel
- Who
- New Zealand longfin eel Anguilla dieffenbachii
- Where
- New Zealand
- When
- 04 November 2013
The longest-lived species of freshwater eel is the New Zealand longfin eel Anguilla dieffenbachii. The only species of freshwater eel endemic to New Zealand, it has been reliably determined in scientific studies to reach an age of up to 106 years.
It also has the slowest growth rate of any freshwater eel species, averaging just 9 mm per year.