What is Anguillidae?
[[File:Anguillarostratakils.jpg|thumb|[[American eel]] (''Anguilla rostrata'')]] '''Anguillidae''', the '''freshwater eels''', are a family of [[Eel|eels]]. They are in the suborder [[Anguilloidei]]. [[European eel|''Anguilla anguilla'']] is the [[type species]]. Most of them are [[extant]]. Aside from the living species, there are also [[Prehistoric eel|prehistoric eels]]. They spend their adult lives in freshwater, but migrate to the ocean to [[Spawn (biology)|spawn]]. Eels are an important food fish. Some species are now farm-raised, but not bred in captivity. Many populations in the wild are now threatened. Seafood Watch recommends people avoid eating anguillid eels.<ref>Halpin, Patricia 2007. Seafood Watch: Unagi (PDF). [https://web.archive.org/web/20100706014923/http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_UnagiReport.pdf] Monterey Bay Aquarium.</ref> The first fossils of eels is found at the start of the [[Palaeocene]], just after the [[K/T extinction event|Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]] 66 mya. If prehistoric eels like ''[[Urosphen]]'' were still alive, they would have replaced the extant eels. == Species == * ''[[European eel|Anguilla anguilla]]'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small> (European eel) * †''Anguilla annosa'' <small>Stinton 1975</small> * ''Anguilla australis'' <small>J. Richardson, 1841</small> ** ''Anguilla australis australis'' <small>J. Richardson, 1841</small> (short-finned eel) ** ''Anguilla australis schmidti'' <small>Phillipps, 1925</small> * ''Anguilla bengalensis'' <small>(J. E. Gray, 1831)</small> (mottled eel) ** ''Anguilla bengalensis bengalensis'' <small>(J. E. Gray, 1831)</small>(Indian mottled eel) ** ''Anguilla bengalensis labiata'' <small>(W. K. H. Peters, 1852)</small>(African mottled eel) * ''Anguilla bicolor'' <small>McClelland, 1844</small> ** ''Anguilla bicolor bicolor'' <small>McClelland, 1844</small> (Indonesian shortfin eel) ** ''Anguilla bicolor pacifica'' <small>E. J. Schmidt, 1928</small> (Indian shortfin eel) * ''A