Eel Tailed Catfish
Tandanus tandanus
Eel tailed catfish also known as jewfish are common in the Murray Darling drainage in south east Queensland, and coastal rivers as far north as Cairns although their population has declined severely in New South Wales and Victoria. Eel tailed catfish are essentially bottom feeders preferring shrimp, yabbies, insects and snails. Their temperature tolerance is wide and are well suited to farm dams.
Description
Eel tailed catfish are Australian freshwater species, they are an olive greenish, grey to brown often with pale yellow mottling on the rear of the body, they have a stocky body and broad head with a large mouth that has four pairs of sensory barbels [whiskers].They have an eel-like tale also have a scaleless eel like skin.
Eel tailed catfish are essentially bottom feeders, preferring shrimp, yabbies, insects and snails. The species are non migratory and spend a large amount of their time in and around snags, they prefer rocky areas in non flowing water which includes dams and impoundments where they will breed.
Eel tailed catfish have strong dorsal spines capable of inflicting painful wounds.
The flesh is white and well flavoured and should be skinned and filleted.
Habitat & Distribution
Eel tailed catfish is a native Australian fish which can be found in a wide rang of freshwater habitats including rivers, creeks, lakes and impoundments. They occur in coastal rivers along the eastern seaboard from the Hunter River north to central Queensland as well as throughout the Murray Darling river basin. Once wide spread and common in eastern Australia populations have suffered severe declines and is now considered endangered in New South Wales and threatened in Victoria and fully protected in South Australia.
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