Early life history of tropical freshwater eels (Anguilla spp.)recruiting to Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, in the western South Pacific

Hewavitharane, C.A. and Pickering, Timothy and Rico, Ciro and Mochioka, N. (2019) Early life history of tropical freshwater eels (Anguilla spp.)recruiting to Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, in the western South Pacific. Marine and Freshwater Research, TBC . TBC. ISSN 1323-1650

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Abstract

The oceanic early life histories of three species of tropical anguillid glass eels, namely Anguilla marmorata, Anguilla megastoma and Anguilla obscura, recruiting to Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, in the western South Pacific, were studied using otolith microstructures of 94 individuals. A. megastoma had the shortest leptocephalus duration, age at recruitment and metamorphosis stage (mean ± s.d. 104.7 ± 7.2, 141.3 ± 8.7 and 36.6 ± 8.5 days respectively), followed by A. marmorata (September–October recruitment peak: 113.0 ± 11.9, 115.1 ± 8.3 and 39.2 ± 11.1 days respectively; April recruitment peak: 152.2 ± 13.5, 154.0 ± 12.5 and 38.9 ± 10.1 days respectively) and A. obscura (118.0 ± 10.2, 168.4 ± 16.5 and 49.6 ± 12.5 days respectively). A. obscura also had the shortest oceanic glass eel duration of (12.2 ± 3.4 days), followed by both peaks of A. marmorata (23.3 ± 3.2 and 20.2 ± 3.3 days) and A. megastoma (20.7 ± 6.7 days). Otolith increment rates during the leptocephalus stage did not differ significantly among the three species, but there were significant differences between the leptocephalus duration and metamorphosis stage of A. megastoma compared with A. marmorata and A. obscura, as well as in the oceanic glass eel duration of A. obscura compared with A. marmorata and A. megastoma. There were also significant differences in the age at recruitment among all three species. Back-calculated hatch dates suggest separate peak seasonal spawning periods for each of the three species.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences Q Science > Q Science (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > School of Marine Studies
Depositing User:	Fulori Nainoca - Waqairagata
Date Deposited:	28 Aug 2019 03:32
Last Modified:	28 Aug 2019 03:32
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/11763

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