Asian swamp eel

Monopterus albus

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth0–287 m
Water temperature18–29 °C
Best monthsMay, June, and July
How commonOccasional

Photo credit: (c) Kim, Hyun-tae, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kim, Hyun-tae · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The Asian swamp eel, also known as rice eel, ricefield eel, rice paddy eel, or white rice-field eel, is a commercially important, air-breathing species of fish in the family Synbranchidae. It occurs in East and Southeast Asia, where it is commonly sold and eaten throughout the region. It has been introduced to two areas near the Everglades in Florida and near Atlanta, Georgia.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Asian swamp eel”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 17 records
February: 19 records
March: 38 records
April: 47 records
May: 93 records
June: 86 records
July: 116 records
August: 82 records
September: 47 records
October: 48 records
November: 35 records
December: 22 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–287 m · Deepest record: 287 m

0–10 m: 6 records
10–20 m: 0 records
20–30 m: 0 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 2 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 18–29 °C

16–18 °C: 1 records
18–20 °C: 3 records
20–22 °C: 0 records
22–24 °C: 1 records
24–26 °C: 5 records
26–28 °C: 2 records
28–30 °C: 16 records

Photos

(c) Kim, Hyun-tae, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kim, Hyun-tae · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Kim, Hyun-tae, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kim, Hyun-tae · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Kim, Hyun-tae, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) 雲一百香果, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Jiao Sun (孙娇), some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Asian swamp eel, Belut, Lai, Pa lai, rice eel, Rice Eel Kiwet, Rice Field Eel, Rice Paddy Eel, rice swampeel, swamp eel, white ricefield eel, White Rice-field Eel

Names in 5 more languages

Indonesian: Belut
Japanese: Ta-unagi, Taunagi, タウナギ
Korean: 드렁허리
Thai: Lai, Pla Lai, ปลาไหล
Simplified Chinese: 鳝鱼

Other scientific names: Aptergia immaculata, Aptergia nigromaculata, Apterigia immaculata, Apterigia nigromaculata, Apterigia saccogularis, Fluta alba, Gymnotus albus, Monopterus alba, Monopterus cinereus, Monopterus helvolus, Monopterus javanensis, Monopterus laevis, Monopterus marmoratus, Monopterus xanthognathus, Muraena alba, Ophicardia phayriana, Ophicardia phyariana, Ophicardia xanthognatha, Pneumabranchus cinereus, Symbranchus grammicus, Synbranchus grammicus, Synbranchus xanthognathus, Unibranchapertura laevis

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
717 open-data records from 1900 to 2024.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist