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Fecundity of the American eel Anguilla rostrata at 45° N in Maine, U.S.A.
Author(s) -
Barbin G. P.,
McCleave J. D.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1997.tb02004.x
Subject(s) - fecundity , biology , anguilla rostrata , panmixia , cline (biology) , latitude , range (aeronautics) , population , sex ratio , fishery , zoology , demography , geography , genetic variation , biochemistry , materials science , geodesy , sociology , gene , composite material , gene flow
The northern portion of the geographic range of the American eel Anguilla rostrata may contribute a great proportion of the reproductive potential to this panmictic species because of apparent increases in average female size and female percentage with latitude. The regressions of fecundity on body length and on body weight of 63 female eels captured at about 45° N latitude on their spawning migration to the sea were log F= 1·2601 + 2·9642 log L and log F= 4·1646+0·9153 log W , where F is fecundity, L is total length (cm), and W is total weight (g). Length and weight each explained about 90% of the variation in fecundity. Estimates of fecundity from counts of aliquots of eggs ranged from 1·84 million to 19·92 million eggs for eels ranging in length from 45 to 113 cm, nearly the range of sizes of migrating females reported in the literature. Fecundities of the American eel were greater than reported in one study at about 37° N and greater than reported for the European eel, A. anguilla , shortfin eel, A. australis , and longfin eel, A. dieffenbachii . If a geographic cline in fecundity does exist in American eels, it is established anew each generation because the species forms a single panmictic population.