<p>To examine the ability of tactile discrimination, Japanese eels were trained to perform a tactile discrimination task using a pool equipped with four pipes. One of the pipes was fitted with silicone rings, which served as the tactile stimulus, and the other three pipes were unmodified. Only the pipe with the tactile stimulus was open and accessible, allowing the eels to enter the pipe as a reward. All five eels successfully learned to discriminate between the pipes and consistently selected the one with the tactile stimulus. The eels maintained this discrimination under dark conditions, demonstrating that visual cues were not required. In addition, local anesthesia applied to the olfactory organs did not impair performance, demonstrating that olfactory cues were not involved. Also, the eels continued to perform the task accurately following immersion in streptomycin, which impairs the function of hair cells in the lateral line system, implying that the lateral line organ did not contribute to the tactile discrimination. These findings highlight the reliance of Japanese eels on tactile information. The findings were compared to previously reported abilities in visual, spatial, and hydrodynamic discrimination.</p>