Swamp eel

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

The fish is an important protein source for people in Thailand. It is cultured throughout Vietnam. In Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and other Asian countries, swamp eels are farmed in polyculture rice fields and sold as a food product with the rice crop.^{[citation needed]}

In Balinese, the eels are known as lindung, they are sold dried in almost all village markets for use in Hindu offerings.

In Japan, it is known as ta-unagi, from 田, pronounced “ta”, meaning paddy and 鰻, pronounced “unagi”, meaning eel, usually written in katakana as タウナギ, and usually not eaten.