Offshore Spawning for the Newly Discovered Anguillid Species Anguilla luzonensis (Teleostei: Anguillidae) in the Western North Pacific

• DOI: 10.2984/66.4.7
• Publication Date: 2012-09-20T07:39:47Z
• Authors: Mari Kuroki; Michael J. Miller; Jun Aoyama; Shun Watanabe; Tatsuki Yoshinaga; Katsumi Tsukamoto
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 14. Life underwater; 16. Peace & justice; 01 natural sciences

Abstract: A new anguillid eel species, Anguilla luzonensis, was recently discovered on Luzon Island of the northern Philippines, but little is known about its life history. DNA identification was used to determine that five leptocephali of this species (29.2–51.2 mm) were collected offshore in the western North Pacific (13°–17.5° N, 125°–141° E) in April, June, and July between 2002 and 2009. One leptocephalus was caught west of Luzon and four were close to the spawning areas of Anguilla japonica and Anguilla marmorata. Otolith microstructure showed that the leptocephali were up to 103–138 days old. Glass eels from northern Luzon in previous studies that were thought to be Anguilla celebesensis now appear likely to have been A. luzonensis, and they were estimated by otolith analysis to have long larval durations similar to those of A. marmorata. Estimated hatching dates of these glass eels and the A. luzonensis leptocephali were both in the February to May season. Offshore presence of leptocephali of A. l...