ɐn ɪmpˈoːɹtənt tɹɐdˈɪʃənəl fˈuːd sˈoːɹs fɔːɹ mˈaʊɹi, hˌuː nˈeɪm ðˌɛm oːɹˈiə, lˈɔŋfɪn ˈiːl nˈʌmbɚz ɑːɹ dᵻklˈaɪnɪŋ ænd ðeɪ ɑːɹ klˈæsᵻfˌaɪd æz ɛndˈeɪndʒɚd, bˌʌt ˌoʊvɚ wˈʌn hˈʌndɹɪd tˈʌnz ɑːɹ stˈɪl kəmˈɜːʃəli fˈɪʃt ˈiːtʃ jˈɪɹ.
An important traditional food source for Māori, who name them ōrea, longfin eel numbers are declining and they are classified as endangered, but over one hundred tonnes are still commercially fished each year.