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

• DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13590
• Publication Date: 2018-03-15T12:00:54Z
• Authors: N. Fukuda; H. Kurogi; D. Ambe; S. Chow; T. Yamamoto; K. Yokouchi; A. Shinoda; Y. Masuda; M. Sekino; K. Saitoh; M. Masujima; T. Watanabe; N. Mochioka; H. Kuwada
• Keywords: Japanese eel; Anguilla rostrata; Anguillidae

This study clarifies the location, size and age at onset of metamorphosis in Japanese eels Anguilla japonica through oceanic surveys, rearing experiments analyses morphology otoliths leptocephali glass eels. Twenty‐eight metamorphosing were collected mesoscale eddy region to east Taiwan during research expeditions 2004. Rearing showed that total length ( L T ) decreased by an average 12·5% 13·9% 2–12 h after death. Thus, mean back‐calculated for 630 from Japan was estimated 67·8 ± 2·7 mm (mean S.D.). The ante‐mortem fully grown pre‐metamorphic 2004 64·6 3·4 mm, which consistent with estimate Otolith analysis 137 15 days indicated may have a recruitment route eddies addition direct transfer North Equatorial Current Kuroshio Current.