5. Anguilla japonica
(150cm)

Habitat : Bottom of streams, lakes, headwaters, rice paddies and reservoirs with continuous flow, estuary, and usually salt water off stream mouth. Feeds on small live animals. In late Autumn, breeding adults migrate from freshwater, estuary, and salt water to a particular place in the West Pacific Ocean between Philippines and Marianas Trench where they spawn and die.

Range : Yellow Sea slope including Bohai Bay slope(NE China); Coasts affected by Kuroshio Current(warm current) : North Philippines; Vietnam; Taiwan; 
SE and E China; Japan; Korea(excluding northeastern coast).
Recently, land reclamation and damming have resulted in population decrease and habitat loss. According to a recent research on the Keum River population, most individuals tend to live in estuary up to Keum River Estuary Dam.
A.japonica is found most of the upper dams in S Korea and this is because local governments and people used to stock young eels into the lakes for sport and economic reason for inland fishermen. However, this also has resulted in population decrease because breeding abults cannot make their way to the Pacific Ocean through dams.
 

Remarks : In South Korea and Japan, people usually believe eating A.japonica helps induce strength especially during summer time. This fish is one of the most popular foods with Japanese, the largest eel consumer in the world.

* Habitat of Anguilla japonica (Sorae Creek : Siheung county, Gyeonggi Province)

* pictures of Anguilla japonica cuisines (below):