Not everyone is fond of eels, but many people in Asia are really fond of them. We are talking about the saltwater eel species that you probably have never heard of. The thing is that Cambodian people consume various types of eels, but there are only 2 saltwater species here. Feel free to take a look at the saltwater eel species below and see if you have seen or tried them before.
Giant Mottled Eel (ត្រីច្លុក)
The giant mottled eel also goes by the name marbled eel, and we call it fish instead of eel in Cambodia. A giant mottled eel can grow up to 2 meters for a female while a male reaches only around 1.5 meters. Being that long and weighing around 40 kilograms, it is one of the largest eel species in the world. It is cylindrical in shape, and it has small well-developed pectoral fins that resemble fish. This is one of the reasons why we see them as a fish instead of an eel. The skin has small oval-shaped scales that are embedded in the skin. Just like the name suggests, this saltwater eel species has a mottled color. Adults are yellow with a greenish-brown to black marbling on their back while the belly is white. Meanwhile, the young ones are grayish to yellow in color without visible marbling.
The range of these eels is pretty widespread as their population is across Indo-Pacific waters. As young eels, they live in estuaries and seas before moving to freshwater when they mature. Not different from other eels out there, giant mottled eels are carnivorous and nocturnal. They emerge at night to feed on a wide variety of meals such as bony fish, crabs, frogs, and shrimps. It has thick fleshy lips with a protruding lower jaw and both jaws are arranged in 2 or 3 rows. One row has distinctly enlarged teeth that often form a cutting edge, and hunting is simply easy for them.
Indonesian Shortfin Eel (ត្រីច្លុកព្រុយខ្លី)
Smaller than the giant mottled eel but still big, an Indonesian shortfin eel can grow up to 1.2 meters long. Its elongated scaleless body has a blue-brown and olive top while the underpart is lighter in color. The eyes are small and the teeth are sharp but they are harmless to humans. This saltwater eel species is actually native to Indonesia but they live throughout the tropical coastal regions of the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean. As young eels, they live in estuaries and seas and their freshwater habitats as adults are creeks, pools, rivers, and streams. As the night comes, these nocturnal eels also emerge to feed on crustaceans, insects, and small fish.
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