Assessing the impact of hydropower and fisheries on downstream migrating silver eel, Anguilla anguilla, by telemetry in the River Meuse

Abstract –  European eel Anguilla anguilla is in strong decline. We assessed the relative impact of fisheries and hydropower during the downstream migration of silver eel in the River Meuse in the Netherlands using radio-telemetry. For this, 16 fixed detection stations (Nedap Trail-System^®) were used, each covering the entire river width, including all outlets to sea, and two covering the entrances of the two hydropower stations present. In September 2002, 150 silver eels were surgically implanted with Nedap-transponders and released at the catch site. Of these, 121 started to migrate downstream of which 37% successfully reached the North Sea. Hydropower mortality was at least 9% and assessed to be 16–26%. Fisheries mortality was at least 16% (reported recaptures) and estimated to be 22–26%. A clear difference was found in passage behaviour at hydropower stations, where 40% showed recurrence, in contrast to the river stations where this hardly occurred, indicating a hesitation to pass the turbines. Also a difference was found in diurnal pattern; 63% of the eels that passed through the turbines did so during the first 5 h of the night, whereas for the stations on free-flowing sections this was only 35%.     

A preliminary telemetry study of the migration of silver European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) in the River Mosel, Germany

Abstract  – To study the behaviour of silver eels ( Anguilla anguilla L.) during their downstream migration, particularly near a hydroelectric power dam, we tagged nine eels with ultrasonic transmitters and tracked their paths in the River Mosel, Germany. The onset of migration coincided with the first flood event that followed the full moon but was independent of daytime, because migration and turbine passage occurred during both day and night. During migration eels swam actively downstream with a velocity of 0.3–1.2 m · s⁻¹. When migrating eels arrived at the dam, they either passed through the turbines immediately or stayed upstream of the powerhouse for up to 8 days, showing a characteristic circling behaviour. Circling eels repeatedly approached the trashrack, sprinted upstream, and finally passed through the turbines with the next high water discharge. These observations are discussed with regard to the design of appropriate downstream passage facilities.     

Migration pattern of silver eel (Anguilla anguilla, L.) in an obstructed river system

Abstract –  The downstream migration of European silver eels in the River Frémur was examined to determine the potential effects of the numerous migration barriers that exist on waterways in western France. The Frémur has a 14 m high dam which creates a 3 × 10⁶ m³ water supply reservoir, 6 km from tidal limit. Based on 8-year records (1996–2004) of migrant silver eels captured in a Wolf trap located about 1 km below the dam, the influence of this dam on the migration was examined. These records indicate that 91% of silver eels were captured when the dam was overtopped (i.e. when the water reservoir was full). The timings of the overflow periods varied greatly between years mainly because they are function of the duration of the filling period which in turn is dependent on the level of summer water abstraction and annual hydrological conditions. Consequently, migration periods occurred at variable dates (between November and April) which is late in comparison with nonobstructed European river systems (generally between August and December). During overflow periods the migration of silver eels increased markedly during rain events (increasing river flow). This indicates that flow flushes, are essential so that settled silver eels can orientate themselves and pass over the dam. The hypothesis of a 'dam effect' that could stop temporarily or permanently some of silver eels in the reservoir is discussed. Finally, the influence of the migration delays on the condition of silver eels is considered.     

Movements of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) in a chalk stream

Abstract – The movements of wild European eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) were monitored continuously over a 2‐year period in a tributary of the River Itchen, Hampshire, UK, using a passive integrated transponder (PIT) antenna system. The time of these movements was then related to a number of monitored and calculated environmental parameters. No eel movements were recorded in the winter months when mean stream temperature was below 10 °C. The numbers of movements peaked in May, when mean water temperatures and day length were increasing. The movement of eels was significantly (P < 0.001, R² = 0.45, N = 72) correlated with the time of sunset, with the majority (72%) recorded during the hours of darkness. The results of this investigation have implications for the design/timing of surveys of yellow eel populations and their habitat associations and suggest that successfully determining the microhabitat preferences of active resident eels will require remote monitoring throughout the 24‐h period.     

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

Abstract –  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.     

Age and growth of yellow eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), determined by two different methods

Abstract– Ageing and calculation of growth rate of eels has always been controversial, and remarkably little validation has been reported. This article describes the growth of yellow eels from three lakes in the Burrishoole system, Ireland, as determined by back-calculation from otoliths prepared by burning and cracking. Eels captured by fyke net ranged in length from 25.0 cm to 98.5 cm and the ages ranged from 6 to 49 years. Back-calculated growth was slow, with mean annual increments of 2.08 cm, 1.40 cm and 1.97 cm for the three lakes. Yellow eels captured in the Burrishoole system in 1987 and 1988 were marked by Pan Jet inoculated alcian blue dye and released back into the three lakes. Recaptures made over the following three years yielded considerable growth data. Mean annual growth rates recorded were 2.30 cm, 1.07 cm and 0.97 cm. These data compare favorably with the calculated growth rates, thereby validating the otolith analysis for the eels in the Burrishoole system.     

Variation in numbers of eel Anguilla anguilla caught by constant effort in an Irish lake, 1981–1994

Abstract– A total of 8,903 eels were collected in 503 fyke-net samples during the months March to December from 1981 to 1994 in a small bay in Lough Derg, a mesotrophic lake. Variations in catch between months and between years are described. In addition to expected decreases in catch in the colder months, a regular reduction was observed in June. Low catches were observed from 1985 to 1987, coinciding with low water temperatures. A very low catch in August 1994 may have been a chance variation but could have been a first indication of the effects of poor recruitment or of increased commercial fishing effort. The results support the initial hypothesis that a long-term study is required to determine the extent of variation in an eel population.     

Predicting downstream migration of silver eels in a large river catchment based on commercial fishery data

Abstract  Worldwide, populations of catadromous eels are in decline. Knowledge on downstream migration patterns is needed to mitigate damage caused by hydroelectric stations. Silver eel migration and its relation with environmental factors were investigated using data from a fishery located in the lower reaches of a large catchment (110 000 m²). Migration days, indicative of different proportions (50%, 75% and 95%) of the annual run of eels (i.e. represented by the annual catch), were predicted using discriminant analyses. Efficiency of prediction was 58–95% depending on the proportion of the run targeted. The onset of migration was correlated with sunshine hours, August temperature and discharge. Julian days (i.e. photoperiod) was significantly correlated with migration days, indicating between-year similarity in the dynamics of the runs. The size of migrants varied within the migration season, reflecting differences in their initial spatial distribution.     

Differences in head shape of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.)

Differences in eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), head shape were the result of greater increases in head width, rather than changes in head length. The ratio of head width:total length (HW:TL) increased significantly ( t -test, P < 0.05) from the glass-yellow eel stage. Cultured yellow eels were exclusively narrow headed (mean HW:TL = 0.027, range = 0.023–0.032), while wild yellow eels displayed an array of head shapes (mean HW:TL = 0.033, range = 0.023–0.046). Therefore, broad heads (HW:TL 0.033) occurred only among wild yellow eels sampled and may have resulted from diet. Cultured yellow eels consumed only small pellet material. Of wild yellow eels stomachs containing food, 78% of broad-headed eels consumed large and/or hard-bodied organisms (e.g. beetles, fish, molluscs and Notonecta sp.), while 83% of narrow-headed eels consumed exclusively small/soft-bodied prey (e.g. amphipods and chironomids).     

Migration of silver eel,Anguilla anguilla,through three water pumping stations in The Netherlands

European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), migrating to sea encounter many man-made structures that can hamper and delay migration or induce mortality. Three pumping stations in Friesland, the Netherlands, were covered with acoustic receivers. Ninety-three silver eels tagged with acoustic transmitters were released in the polders upstream of the stations and 89% were detected passing a pumping station. The majority of silver eels passed the stations within a day after arriving at the station. Four silver eels stayed for longer than 2 weeks before passage, and 18 were detected at the receiver downstream the pumping station for more than one day, with detections up to several weeks. These detections probably indicated a dead eel, but could also indicate a live eel remaining at the site. Most of the silver eels passed the pumping stations within a day after release, so fish-friendly pumps will benefit the migrating population most. In the Netherlands, there are several thousand pumping stations. Installing fish passages near these stations is not feasible due to high costs. Prioritising all these sites in relation to the degree of blockage, mortality rates and its relative importance for migratory fish, can maximise the effectiveness of measures and mitigation taken.     

Management issues relating to the European eel, Anguilla anguilla

In many European countries there is growing concern over reduced recruitment and catches of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.). Evidence of the decline, together with possible reasons for the changes as detailed by various authors, are reviewed. It is suggested that the problems need to be addressed now and on various levels. Proposals for management actions, as outlined by the Environment Agency for England and Wales, are summarized by way of example.     

Two forms of cytochrome P450 cDNA from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated European eel Anguilla anguilla

ABSTRACT:     The cytochrome P450 (CYP) represents a large group of microsomal monooxygenases that catalyze drugs as well as a host of lethal environmental contaminants such as dioxins, leading to either detoxification and excretion from the animal or generation of carcinogenic intermediates. In the present study two forms of cDNA were cloned (Eu MC1 and Eu MC2) for European eel CYP1A genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The cDNA of Eu MC1 was 3368 bp long coding 521 amino acid residues, and that of Eu MC2 was 2464 bp long coding 517 amino acid residues. Identities of deduced amino acid sequences between Eu MC1 and Japanese eel CYP1A1 and that between Eu MC2 and the second form of Japanese eel CYP1A were 98% and 97%, respectively, showing decisively that Eu MC1 and Eu MC2 are orthologous to Japanese eel CYP1A1 and the second form of CYP1A, respectively. A striking difference between the two eel species was that the Eu MC1 peptide was two amino acid residues longer than that of the Japanese eel CYP1A1. Existence of two loci of CYP1A in Japanese and European eels may suggest that the two forms of CYP1A exist widely among the eel species, because the divergence between the two eel species has been shown to be close to the basal divergence among eels. The identities in CYP1A may help to estimate genetic distance between European and Japanese eels.     

The yellow European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) may adopt a sedentary lifestyle in inland freshwaters

Abstract – We analysed the movements of the growing yellow phase using a long-term mark–recapture programme on European eels in a small catchment (the Frémur, France). The results showed that of the yellow eels (>200 mm) recaptured, more than 90% were recaptured at the original marking site over a long period before the silvering metamorphosis and downstream migration. We conclude that yellow European eels >200 mm may adopt a sedentary lifestyle in freshwater area, especially in small catchment.     

花鳗、欧鳗和日本鳗肌肉无机元素的分析

采用电感耦合等等子体发射光谱仪对花鳗、欧鳗和日本鳗肌肉无机元素组成进行了测定。结果表明:花鳗肌肉中Ca含量最高,P含量次之。欧鳗和日本鳗肌肉中P含量最高,Ca含量次之。三种鳗鲡肌肉中Na、Mg、K含量相近且高低顺序相同,花鳗肌肉中常量元素和Zn、Fe、Mn的含量均高于欧鳗和日本鳗。三种鳗鲡肌肉中均含人体不可缺少的微量元素Zn。据此可认为花鳗营养价值最高。     

Estuarine and fluvial recruitment of the European glass eel, Anguilla anguilla, in an exploited Atlantic estuary

A glass eel fishery exists downstream of the Arzal estuarine dam in the Vilaine (Brittany, France). Catch statistics were collected between 1996 and 2000, and processed using a subsampling technique which allowed data from a reliable subsample to be extrapolated to the whole fishery. During the same period, glass eel migration into fresh water was monitored using a glass eel trap located on the dam – the upstream limit of the fishery. The analysis of glass eel biology and exploitation shows that the glass eel fishery is very intensive and that there was more or less no escapement during the fishing seasons studied. The proportion of the stock successfully migrating towards fresh water, as compared with the total catch is estimated to range between 0.3 and 3.9%. In such a fishery, the fishing effort affects the abundance. Consequently, the total catch has to be used instead of catch‐per‐unit‐effort to estimate abundance.     

Errors in ocular index measurements in European eel Anguilla anguilla (L.)

Abstract –  Knowledge of maturation state of eels ( Anguilla anguilla , L.) based on ocular index (OI) serves management and research functions, such as estimating how much silver eel actually could escape from a particular basin or determining more precisely the developmental biology of a particular eels. OI implies the measurements of five variables (total length and eyes diameters) in a formula which can be sensitive to measurement error. To investigate this issue, we carried out a comparative study using 13 European eels harvested in Camargue (Rhône Delta, France) and three replicated measurements by three different observers. The estimated amplitude of OI imprecision at a 95% confidence level was 1.8 whatever eel and observer. Such error may lead to classification problems particularly when OI values are close to the threshold values used to discriminate between yellow and silver stages. This study not only raised the problem of the OI imprecision but also brought up the need to develop standardised protocol for identifying silver eels. To reach this goal, two different ways are proposed in conclusion.     

Implications of the precautionary approach for the management of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla

The European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), has a complex life history and many aspects of the biology and population dynamics of this species remain unknown or, at best, poorly understood. Relatively little is also known about the status of the stocks and fisheries, but available data suggest that recruitment of glass eels has been falling for the last 20 years and is at historically low levels. Yellow and silver eel catches have also been falling in many parts of the species range over a similar time‐scale. Re‐examination of the principles applied to fisheries management over recent years has resulted in the adoption of a ‘precautionary approach’ to the conservation, management and exploitation of fish stocks, and in an explicit need to take account of uncertainties in management to reduce risks to stocks and their environment. Such an approach is highly relevant to the management of the European eel and requires that urgent consideration is given to harvest strategies and decision structures for the national and international management of stocks and fisheries. Provisional biological reference levels should be established to provide an equable assessment of the status of stocks in all parts of Europe and to evaluate the need for management measures in all fisheries. These will need to be reviewed as further information comes available. Monitoring and research on eel stocks should therefore be enhanced and co‐ordinated to improve our understanding of the status of stocks throughout Europe and the biology of the species.     

Spatial organisation of European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) in a small catchment

Abstract –  Modelling-governing patterns of European eel ( Anguilla anguilla L.) distribution of four eel size classes (<150, 150–300, 300–450 and >450 mm) in the Frémur basin (northwest France) was done using artificial neural network (ANN) techniques and ecological profiles. Our results demonstrate the high predictive power of the ANN models. Some macro- and microscale factors, such as distance from the sea, depth and flow velocity, have the most significant influence on the models. Influence of distance from the sea appears to be very different from the spatial organisation usually described in river systems. In fact, the general tendencies of total eel densities according to the distance from the sea showed that densities increase weakly upstream. Another outcome was the variations in habitat preference according to the eel size, even if this species is spread over practically every type of microhabitat. Small eels were mainly found in shallow habitats with strong abundance of aquatic vegetation, whereas large eels tend to be found in intermediate to high depth with small to intermediate abundance of aquatic vegetation. Finally, we hypothesise that European eels change behaviour and microhabitat characteristic preference around a size of 300 mm.     

欧洲鳗血清免疫球蛋白纯化及部分特性分析

采用饱和硫酸铵分步盐析法结合柱层析提取，纯化欧洲鳗血清免疫球蛋白（Ｉg) ,实验证实欧洲鳗Ｉg主要分布在硫酸铵饱和度３０％－５０％的区间内，Ｓephacry1-S200进一步提纯的Ｉg主要存在于第一个蛋白峰，而Ｓepharose-4B柱层析提纯的Ｉg则存在于第二个蛋白峰，ＤＥＡE-52脑子交换柱层析可进一步纯化Ｓepharose-4B柱层析的产物，ＥＬＩＳＡ和Western-blot分别证实上述提取物具有抗体的免疫学活性，ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＥＧ分析纯化的Ｉg，显示了洲鳗Ｉg重链约为６８kD，轻链约为２６kD.     

欧洲鳗鲡“狂游病”的血液学判别

利用聚类分析和判别分析方法，对患“狂游病”的和健康的欧洲鳗鲡（Anguilla anguilla)各30尾，53项血液指标，共3180个参数进行综合分析，建立了区别“狂游病”欧洲鳗鲡和健康鳗鲡的判别公式，并介绍了其血液学判别方法。