FIRST RECORD OF THE AUSTRALIAN LONGFINNED EEL, ANGUILLA-REINHARDTII, IN NEW-ZEALAND

Anguilla reinhardtii has been identified by vertebral counts and DNA m arkers, from a sample of 27 individuals (364-790 mm), within eight con secutive year classes caught by commercial eel fishers in the Waikato River, North Island, New Zealand. There is anecdotal evidence that A. reinhardtii has been present in small numbers in New Zealand for at le ast 25 years, although its incidence in commercial catches is thought to be increasing. The present known distribution covers approximately 500 km of latitude along the top half of the west coast of the North I sland.