ðɪ ˈiːziɪst wˈeɪ tʊ aɪdˈɛntᵻfˌaɪ ðə lˈɔŋfɪn ˈiːl ɪz baɪ ðə lˈɛŋθ ʌv ɪts fˈɪnz: ðə dˈoːɹsəl tˈɑːp fˈɪn ɪz ɐbˌaʊt tˈuːθˈɜːdz ðə lˈɛŋθ ʌvðə bˈɑːdi ænd stˈɑːɹts sɪɡnˈɪfɪkəntli fˈɜːðɚ təwˈɔːɹdz ðə hˈɛd ðɐn ðɪ ˈeɪnəl bˈɑːɾəm fˈɪn.
The easiest way to identify the longfin eel is by the length of its fins: the dorsal (top) fin is about two-thirds the length of the body and starts significantly further towards the head than the anal (bottom) fin.