Short-finned Eel
Who am I?
We’re sleek, long, olive-green fish that can swim in freshwater, saltwater and climb on land!
We use these skills to migrate all the way from Victoria up to the Coral Sea off Queensland to breed, then our babies travel down the East Australian Current to find their way back into Victorian waterways.
For almost all of history we migrated up and down a freshwater creek that flowed from where Melbourne Uni now stands, along what has become Elizabeth Street. That clean creek is now the city’s main drain, but there are many who think our kind still navigate these drains, following our ancestral pathways.
Find me in the city
Try me out at home
- Scan the QR code
- This will open the Instagram filter
- Point your camera to an open space
- Tap to place me in the space, pinch to change my scale or walk around me, but watch out for traffic!
- Take a photo or video and share your vision for a wilder neighbourhood on Instagram using #wildheartmelb (if in Melbourne) or #wildheartcities if elsewhere
Meet me
See through my eyes
Listen to my world
Watch the Eels of Dandenong Creek to find out why eels are special, where they live and how we can care for them.
Provided by First Friends of Dandenong Creek
What can I do to help Short-finned Eels?
The biggest thing we can do to care for eels is to be careful what we let wash down our drains.
Everything that goes down the kitchen sink or shower drain, onto our gardens and lawns or down our driveway ends up in our local waterways and eventually the sea.
The good news is that by keeping drains just for rain, we help not only eels, but all the other wildlife that live in our local creeks and rivers. PLUS we allow our waterways to become clean and clear and healthy habitats!
Find out how to keep common house and garden pollutants out of our waterways in the infographic below from our article here.
A collaboration between Remember The Wild and Eggpicnic.
Supported by the City of Melbourne.
