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Asian Swamp Eel

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Monopterus javanensis
Lacepéde 1800
Family Synbranchidae

Lateral view of an Asian swamp eel
The Asian swamp eel pictured above was collected in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 2015. It is now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection, UF 237865. Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall

The Asian swamp eel is a member of the swamp eel family. It has an eel-like body and is round to oval in its cross section. The dorsal and anal fins are reduced to rayless, foldlike ridges. The pectoral, pelvic and caudal fins are absent. The gill opening is reduced to a single crescentic slit on the ventral midline of the head and the eye is greatly reduced. Asian swamp eels can be found in water bodies ranging from small ditches to large canals, including ponds, reservoirs and wetlands. These eels are usually found in areas with abundant vegetation and may burrow deep within soft substrates.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Non-indigenous freshwater
  • Florida Distribution — Peninsula drainages
  • River Drainages — Tampa Bay and the Everglades
View species in collection database New gallery search

Similar Species

American Eel

Speckled Worm Eel

Contact Info

Florida Museum of Natural History
Gainesville, FL 32611
352-392-1721 (Research) or
352-846-2000 (Exhibits)

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  • Page Last Updated: 08/19/2022
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