Location, size and age at onset of metamorphosis in the Japanese eel <i>Anguilla japonica</i>

Fukuda, Naoko; Kurogi, Hiroaki; Ambe, Daisuke; Chow, Seinen; Yamamoto, Toshihiro; Yokouchi, Kazuki; Shinoda, Akira; Masuda, Yoshikazu; Sekino, Masashi; Saitoh, Kenji; Masujima, Masachika; Watanabe, Tomowo; Mochioka, Noritaka; Kuwada, Hiroshi

doi:10.1111/jfb.13590

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…The mean total length of A. japonica collected from the 14 estuaries ranged from 55.1 to 56.8 mm. This result was consistent with the mean total length among A. japonica glass eels reported in previous studies [1,65]. The mean total lengths of A. japonica were not statistically different among the 14 sampling sites (Table 1), and there were no significant correlations between LD and TL (Figure 3).…”

Section: The Total Length Variation Of a Japonica At Different Sitessupporting

confidence: 91%

“…This suggests that most leptocephali may metamorphose during their transport from Taiwan to Japan along Kuroshio [1], and some of them may metamorphose in the branched currents of the Kuroshio. Field studies support that the leptocephalus metamorphoses into the glass eel either along the Kuroshio between Taiwan and Japan [61], or through the mesoscale eddies to the east of Taiwan [65,71,73]. Although no metamorphosing leptocephali have as yet been found in the field investigation in the continental shelf, it is very possible that some leptocephalus may metamorphose into glass eels at the early time in the branched currents of the Kuroshio, and keep approaching the coasts by the glass eel stage.…”

Section: The Metamorphosing Location Of Japanese Eel Larvae In East Asia Continental Shelfmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Dispersal Characteristics and Pathways of Japanese Glass Eel in the East Asian Continental Shelf

et al. 2019

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The Japanese eel Anguilla japonica is an important aquaculture fish species in the East Asian countries of Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. All glass eel fry are captured from the wild and understanding the recruitment patterns of the glass eel is important. The larvae of A. japonica are passively transported to the East Asian Continental Shelf by the North Equatorial Current, the Kuroshio, the Kuroshio intrusion currents, and coastal currents. In each location, recruitment time is diverse: It is November in Taiwan and April in the Yalu River. How the glass eels reach recruitment areas remains poorly understood. Here, we combine information from larval ages based on otolith increments, simulated drifting paths on the East Asian Continental Shelf, and main fishing seasons in each location of East Asia. We identify five main recruitment blocks: (1) The main Kuroshio, (2) The Taiwan Strait Warm Current, (3) The Taiwan Warm Current, (4) The Yellow Sea Warm Current and (5) The branch of Yellow Sea Warm Current. The counted age of the glass eels is significantly underestimated for the later recruits, possibly due to the cessation of the otolith edge growth under low water temperatures. This study clarifies the eel’s larval characteristics and transport mechanisms in the East Asia Continental Shelf, providing important information for its recruitment dynamics in the marine stage.

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Section: The Total Length Variation Of a Japonica At Different Sitessupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: The Metamorphosing Location Of Japanese Eel Larvae In East Asia Continental Shelfmentioning

confidence: 90%

Dispersal Characteristics and Pathways of Japanese Glass Eel in the East Asian Continental Shelf

et al. 2019

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“…Northward swimming resulted in a wider distribution towards East Asia and could potentially be an option for entering Japanese rivers. However, v-larvae distribution in the STCC eddy zone was mostly concentrated further east of where larvae have been collected at higher latitudes (Fig 1; [49]) and the success to reach recruitment areas was lower than with NW swimming.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some metamorphosing leptocephali have been collected offshore or south of Taiwan and glass eels have been historically collected in the East China Sea (Fig 1), including in the Kuroshio in November or early December [48]. Metamorphosing larvae have also recently been collected in the STCC eddy region east of Taiwan [49]. These larval distributions can be used to infer the potential migration routes and dispersal patterns of Japanese eel larvae, but there has been a lack of sampling in the western NEC region where larvae must be present each year, but have not been collected in most areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of larval swimming in the western North Pacific subtropical gyre on the recruitment success of the Japanese eel

Chang¹,

Miller²,

Tsukamoto³

et al. 2018

PLoS ONE

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The possible effect of directional larval swimming on the recruitment success of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, was examined with a three-dimensional particle-tracking ocean circulation model using horizontal northwestward swimming and diel vertical migration (DVM). Four separate experiments included virtual larvae (v-larvae) movement from the spawning area over 290 days (total migration) and 160 days (stage A), from the STCC eddy region in 70 days (stage B), and from the origin of the Kuroshio in 60 days (stage C) to evaluate the effect of directional swimming and DVM compared to simple drifting. Passive or random swimming were not the most effective strategies for larvae dispersing from the spawning area because most v-larvae remained south of 20°N without entering the Kuroshio. Northwestward swimming resulted in wider dispersion and a better chance of successful recruitment, with v-larvae becoming widely distributed in the STCC eddy zone, arriving at the east coast of the Philippines (stage A), escaping the STCC eddy area and reaching the Kuroshio (stage B), and crossing the Kuroshio into the East China Sea shelf (stage C). DVM slightly shortened the migration period due to faster shallow layer ocean currents during nighttime. The NEC transported non-swimming v-larvae westward to the Kuroshio and occasionally northward into the Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) area where eddies transported v-larvae westward into the Kuroshio, but less than with swimming. Directional swimming increased recruitment success, northwestward swimming was more effective than other directions, and a slower swimming speed was still better than no/random swimming in sensitivity tests. The present study demonstrated a first view of the possibility that Japanese eel larvae might be able to use a strategy of single-direction swimming to increase arrival at their recruitment areas.

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“…It is estimated that the time needed for the larval eels to travel from Taiwan to Kyushu, Japan (approximately 1,000 km) is 25.3 ± 6.4 days 14 . The mean velocity of the Kuroshio along the Paci c coast of Japan is approximately 0.7-1.4 m/s 40,41 ; thus, it takes 8-16 days for the eel larvae to be transported from western to eastern Japan (approximately 1,000 km). This means that the recruitment time lag between Taiwan and Japan is expected to be close to one month, and the mean TLs of the glass eels in Japan should be greater than those in Taiwan because of their increased mean ages.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

North Equatorial Current and Kuroshio Velocity Variations Affect Body Length and Distribution of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica in Taiwan and Japan

Kuo

Hsiung

Lin

et al. 2021

Preprint

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The larval stage of Japanese eel travels a substantial distance over a long duration through the North Equatorial Current (NEC) and the Kuroshio, and the spawning behavior of mature eels leads to monthly arrival waves in eastern Taiwan between November and February. The total length (TL) of the glass eel relates to its larval duration and age; therefore, the TL can indicate the larval duration. The monthly mean TLs of eels along eastern Taiwan from 2010–2021 were used to estimate the batch age, and the recruitment patterns and relative abundances were compared. The TLs of glass eels followed a normal distribution, and the estimated ages were highly correlated with their mean TLs. Early recruit TLs were significantly greater than those of late recruits. The mean tracer drift time was longer in early recruitment months (November–December) than in later dates (February–March). The recruitment lag was approximately 1–1.5 months, with relative recruitment higher in the early recruitment months than in later months. Cohorts followed the main streams of the NEC and Kuroshio, and the monthly velocity changes of these currents could affect the TLs as well as the distribution patterns of Japanese glass eels in Taiwan and Japan.

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Location, size and age at onset of metamorphosis in the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

Cited by 21 publications

References 50 publications

Dispersal Characteristics and Pathways of Japanese Glass Eel in the East Asian Continental Shelf

Dispersal Characteristics and Pathways of Japanese Glass Eel in the East Asian Continental Shelf

Effect of larval swimming in the western North Pacific subtropical gyre on the recruitment success of the Japanese eel

North Equatorial Current and Kuroshio Velocity Variations Affect Body Length and Distribution of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica in Taiwan and Japan

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