Patterns of silver eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) sex ratio in a catchment

Authors: Laffaille, P.¹; Acou, A.¹; Guillouët, J.²; Mounaix, B.²; Legault, A.²

Source: Ecology of Freshwater Fish, Volume 15, Number 4, December 2006 , pp. 583-588(6)

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Abstract:

Laffaille P, Acou A, Guillouët J, Mounaix B, Legault A. Patterns of silver eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) sex ratio in a catchment.

Changes in the numbers and size-class structure of European silver eels, Anguilla anguilla, in the River Frémur (France) were examined over a 9-year period after installation of downstream eel passes. The number of silver eels migrating downstream peaked in 1999, then decreased strongly and steadily after 2000, reaching relatively low levels. At the same time, a gradual shift in the silver eel sex ratio from a dominance of males (size from 270 to 442 mm, age from 3 to 6 years) to females (size from 366 to 1112 mm, age from 4 to 9 years) was recorded. Possible explanations for the escapement patterns observed are environmental sex determination and the installation of eel passes on the main hydraulic engineering structures in 1992 and 1996.

Keywords: European eel; downstream migration; sex ratio; eel passes; environmental sex determination

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0633.2006.00195.x

Affiliations: 1: Equipe de Recherche Technologique 52 `Biodiversité Fonctionnelle et Gestion des Territoires', Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France 2: Fish Pass, 8 allée de Guerlédan, ZA Parc Rocade Sud, Chantepie, France

Publication date: 2006-12-01