Induction of Sexual Maturation in Wild Female European Eels (Anguilla anguilla) in Darkness and Light

Abstract

Sexual maturity was induced in wild silver eel females of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) using a protocol similar to that successfully used for Anguilla japonica. Eels were injected for sixteen weeks with increasing doses of carp pituitary extract (10, 20, 30, and 40 mg CPE/kg body wt) and kept in natural light or completely dark conditions. In both groups, final oocyte maturation and ovulation were induced by injection of 17,20 h-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) at 2 mg/g body wt. All sixty eels turned out to be silver and actively migrant (58 in stage V and two in stage IV), showing a particularly high eye index (15.75±1.40), and distributed within three age classes (7-9 years). In the group kept in darkness, one of the four females ovulated 12 h after DHP injection in the thirteenth week. The remaining three females received the final (16th) CPE injection and ovulated 12-36 h after the DHP injection. In the group kept in light, two of the four females received the 16th CPE injection and ovulated 12-36 h after the DHP injection; the remaining two did not ovulate within 36 h post DHP injection. The total number of eggs released by the group kept in darkness (1,485,600) was significantly higher than that of the group kept in light (274,000). There was no mortality during the experiment.