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Longevity of longfinned eels Anguilla dieffenbachii in a New Zealand high country lake
Author(s) -
Jellyman D. J.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
ecology of freshwater fish
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1600-0633
pISSN - 0906-6691
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0633.1995.tb00123.x
Subject(s) - fishery , national park , stock (firearms) , longevity , stock assessment , geography , ecology , environmental science , biology , archaeology , fishing , genetics
A sample of 146 longfinned eels ( Anguilla dieffenbachii ), ranging in length from 231–1203 mm, was collected from Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand. Otoliths ( n = 114) of eels were difficult to read, mainly due to the considerable age (maximum age 106 years). Growth rate was slow and linear, averaging 9 mm. year −1 . These are the slowest growth rate and maximum age from any study of Anguilla spp. to date. Lakes within National Parks provide the largest commercially unfished waters within New Zealand and hence provide reserve breeding stocks of longfinned eels; however, the average generation time of 93 years for female eels from Lake Rotoiti implies that stock management should be conservative.