Diel and seasonal movements of radio-tagged freshwater eels, Anguilla spp., in two New Zealand streams

We studied diel and seasonal movements of 21 radio-tagged shortfinned, Anguilla australis Gray, and longfinned, A. dieffenbachii, eels in two small New Zealand streams. Movements of eels commenced at dusk, with a higher proportion of shortfinned eels moving per night than longfinned eels, and also moving greater distances. Both species often showed extensive movements immediately after tagging, but thereafter movements were limited. In the smaller stream, home ranges averaged 30 and 10m for shortfinned and longfinned eels, respectively, but not all eels were active on every night. There were no seasonal differences in mean distances moved. In both streams, eel movement was almost exclusively bankside, and seldom cross-channel; eels also showed considerable fidelity to a particular bank. Shortfinned eels were most commonly found in runs, and longfinned eels in riffles.     

Observations on eosinophilic granule cells in peritoneal exudates of eels, Anguilla amtmlis

Eosinophilic granule cells (EGC) are reported among peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) of unstimulated and carrageenan-, zymosan-, latex- and Aeromonas hydrophila -stimulated eels, Anguilla australis . At the light microscopy level EGC are large (< 50 μm diameter) and have strongly to moderately basophilic cytoplasm, eosinophilic granules, and often striated colourless cytoplasmic inclusions. Ultrastructurally, the cytoplasm is rich in ribosomes, and contains characteristic granules, parallel tubular structures 46–50 nm in diameter, and parallel rod-like arrays (PRLA) 14–15 nm in diameter that are angular or hexagonal in cross section. EGC contain granule-associated, partially or completely cyanide inhibited, but azide and aminotriazole resistant, peroxidase, acid phosphatase, esterases and weak cytoplasmic periodic acid-Schiff positivity. PRLA lack enzyme content. A few (< 10%) unstimulated and carrageenan- and zymosan-stimulated EGC contain granule-associated and diffuse β-galactosidase, and EGC in eels injected i.p. with filtered carrageenan-stimulated PEC supernatants show heterogeneity in glucosaminidase content.     

Patterns of infracommunity species richness in eels, Anguilla anguilla

Between October 1999 and October 2001, a total of 510 European eels Anguilla anguilla were captured in 13 different samples from the rivers Thames (five locations) and Test (one location) in southern England. The relationship between parasite component community species richness (CCR) and maximum infracommunity species richness (ICRmax) compared with that previously observed in bird and mammal hosts. Specifically, the maximum number of parasite species occurring in infracommunities equalled or exceeded half the number of parasite species in the component community at that time, across a wide range of CCR values (2-9 parasite species). Furthermore, the frequency distribution of infracommunity richness (ICR) suggested that the species composition of infracommunities is probably random. These findings suggest that intestinal macroparasite infracommunities in eels are unsaturated and potentially species rich assemblages and, in these respects, share a fundamental similarity with the infracommunities of birds and mammals.     

Observations on the granulocyte peroxidase of teleosts: a phylogenetic perspective

Observations on granulocyte peroxidase of 123 teleosts are reported and correlated with previous studies to put occurrence of fish granulocyte peroxidase in a phylogenetic perspective. Eosinophil peroxidase occurs in archaic groups such as lungfish and sturgeons, but is usually weak and infrequently observed in chondrichthyans, and in teleosts occurs in some elopomorphs, is consistently observed in stomiiforms, is rarely observed and usually weak in acanthopterygians and absent from salmoniforms, scopelomorphs and paracanthopterygians. Peroxidase is absent from lungfish and sturgeon neutrophils, is present in neutrophils of some elopomorphs and clupeimorphs. both of which are basal teleost groups, but in salmoniforms and higher teleosts is consistently observed in neutrophils. although often weak in pleuronectiforms.
Loss of eosinophil peroxidase and development of neutrophil peroxidase in teleosts may be due to inefficient phagocytosis and loss of peroxidase with degranulation in eosinophils, being superseded by concentration of peroxidase in phagosomes in neutrophils.     

Observations on movements of yellow eels, Anguilla anguilla L., after displacement from coastal waters to sea

Four groups of yellow eels, three from three Po Delta brackish bays (Pila, Scardovari and Goro) and one from the French Atlantic coast, were marked by freeze-branding and released at an open-sea point 5 miles offshore. Of the 2137 eels released, 453 (21.2%) were recaptured over a 1-month period. The percentage recaptured is not independent of either fish size (the larger eels being recaptured in greater quantity than the smaller ones which are supposed to be less catchable and more easily overlooked by fishermen) or fish origin (the recapture rate of the French stock was both the lowest, at 9.8%, and the most dispersed in time and space). The highest multiple catches were for eels from Pila and Scardovari and were made in the first days of the experiment. Of the recaptured eels, 75% were caught in the inland water closest (9 km) to the release point; only 8.6% were recaptured at the mouth of the two branches of the River Po. There is no evidence of a real homing tendency for yellow eels previously adapted to living in brackish water: the massive return to the nearest coast is probably only an avoidance reaction to the unfavourable open-sea environment.     

Changes in steroid hormone profiles and ovarian histology during salmon pituitary-induced vitellogenesis and ovulation in female New Zealand longfinned eels, Anguilla dieffenbachii gray

To assess whether induced vitellogenesis in longfinned eels mimics that in naturally maturing conspecifics, female eels were artificially matured and steroid hormone status and oocyte cytology during oogenesis were evaluated. Successful induction of vitellogenesis was evident from the presence of yolk granules in the ooplasm of salmon pituitary homogenate (SPH)-injected, but not saline-, 17-hydroxyprogesterone-, and/or gonadotropin-releasing hormone-treated fish. In SPH-treated females, the migratory nucleus stage was reached after 33-53 days, followed by ovulation around 30 hours after induction of final maturation and ovulation. Only a portion of the germ cells matured, although resumption of vitellogenesis was seen in the majority of oocytes. In contrast, in ovaries of saline-injected controls, the most advanced oocytes were early vitellogenic. Atretic follicles were observed in ovaries of all eels, but abundance was greater in controls than in SPH-treated fish. SPH injections elevated plasma levels of estradiol-17beta and androgens, but not pregnenes, from within three days of treatment. Our results indicate that sex steroid levels in midvitellogenic hormone-treated females are similar to those in wild midvitellogenic females. In contrast, differences in yolk morphology of midvitellogenic follicles were seen between SPH-treated and wild females, especially in the second crop of midvitellogenic-sized oocytes measuring 300-400 microm in diameter. We discuss whether the observed differences affect egg quality, and perhaps explain the short life span of captive-bred eel larvae. J. Exp. Zool. 289:119-129, 2001.     

Molecular phylogeny and evolution of the freshwater eels genus Anguilla based on the whole mitochondrial genome sequences

Molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted using the whole mitochondrial genome sequences of all 18 species/subspecies of the freshwater eels genus Anguilla to infer their phylogenetic relationships and to evaluate hypotheses about the possible dispersal routes of this genus. The Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses using a total of 15,187 sites of mitochondrial DNA sequences suggested that A. mossambica was the most basal species of anguillid eel, and that the other species (except for A. borneensis) formed three geographic clades: Atlantic (two species), Oceania (three species), and Indo-Pacific (11 species). The present study clearly indicated a sister relationship between the Atlantic and Oceanian species, which now have distantly separated geographic distributions. This suggests that the previous hypotheses to estimate the dispersal route of anguillid eels into the Atlantic Ocean based on the current geographic distribution of species are unsupported by the present more complete analysis. Alternatively, the unique geographic distribution of the present day species in the genus Anguilla appears to have resulted from multiple dispersal events. Although the age of the beginning of speciation among anguillid eels was tentatively estimated as 20 million years ago using a calibration for bony fishes of 7.3x10(-4) substitutions/site/million years, it is possible that this divergence time was underestimated because of the ecological characteristics of these fishes. The results of the present study suggest that the hypotheses for the dispersal route and divergence time of the genus Anguilla should be reconsidered.     

Observations on the genus Bosmina in New Zealand

Summary The consideration of specimens from many localities in New Zealand shows that the genus Bosmina is represented by but a single species. This species is maintained to be B. meridionalis by the author. Dorsal incisures are shown to occur on the mucro in juvenile females which suggests the possible identity of this species with B. hagmanni Stingelin. Should the above species prove to be identical the specific name meridionalis is shown to take precedence.

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Résumé L'examen de nombreux specimens pris dans plusieurs endroits de la Nouvelle Zéelande démontre que le genre Bosmina n'est représenté que par l'espèce B. meridionalis. Des incisions dorsales sont visibles sur le mucro chez les jeunes femelles, ce qui suggère l'idée que cette espèce est identique à B. hagmanni Stingelin. Si ces espèces sont vraiment identiques, le nom spécifique B. meridionalis doit avoir la préséance.

     

Kinematics and hydrodynamics of linear acceleration in eels, Anguilla rostrata

The kinematics and hydrodynamics of routine linear accelerations were studied in American eels, Anguilla rostrata, using high-speed video and particle image velocimetry. Eels were examined both during steady swimming at speeds from 0.6 to 1.9 body lengths (L) per second and during accelerations from -1.4 to 1.3 L s(-2). Multiple regression of the acceleration and steady swimming speed on the body kinematics suggests that eels primarily change their tail-tip velocity during acceleration. By contrast, the best predictor of steady swimming speed is body wave speed, keeping tail-tip velocity an approximately constant fraction of the swimming velocity. Thus, during steady swimming, Strouhal number does not vary with speed, remaining close to 0.32, but during acceleration, it deviates from the steady value. The kinematic changes during acceleration are indicated hydrodynamically by axial fluid momentum in the wake. During steady swimming, the wake consists of lateral jets of fluid and has minimal net axial momentum, which reflects a balance between thrust and drag. During acceleration, those jets rotate to point downstream, adding axial momentum to the fluid. The amount of added momentum correlates with the acceleration, but is greater than the necessary inertial force by 2.8+/-0.6 times, indicating a substantial acceleration reaction.     

Mitochondrial phylogeography of New Zealand freshwater crayfishes, Paranephrops spp

Tectonic movement at the boundary of the Indo-Australian and Pacific Plates during the Miocene and Pliocene is recognized as a driving force for invertebrate speciation in New Zealand. Two endemic freshwater crayfish (koura) species, Paranephrops planifrons White 1842 and Paranephrops zealandicus White 1842, represent good model taxa to test geological hypotheses because, due to their low dispersal capacity and life history, geographical restriction of populations may be caused by vicariant processes. Analysis of a mitochondrial DNA marker (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) reveals not two, but three major koura lineages. Contrary to expectation, the cryptic West Coast group appears to be more closely related to P. zealandicus than to P. planifrons and has diverged earlier than the final development (Late Pleistocene) of Cook Strait. Our date estimates suggest that koura lineage diversification probably coincided with early to mid-Alpine orogeny in the mid-Pliocene. Estimates of node ages and the phylogenies are inconsistent with both ancient Oligocene and recent postglacial Pleistocene range expansion, but suggest central to north colonization of North Island and west to east movement in South Island during mid- to late Pliocene. Crypsis and paraphyly of the West Coast group suggest that morphological characters presently used to classify koura species could be misleading.     

Cl- -HCO3- dependent ATPase in gills of freshwater and seawater adapted eels (Anguilla anguilla L.)

The gills of both seawater and freshwater adapted eels have an ATPase activity which is stimulated by anions in the presence of Mg2+. Plasma membranes were distinguished from mitochondrial membranes with specific enzyme markers, the membrane fractions separated on a discontinuous sucrose gradient, and the ATPase activity of the plasma membranes studied. Activation by the anions of Cl- or HCO3- followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics and was competitively inhibited by SCN-. The Cl- and HCO3- activation characteristics were determined: no differences between the plasma membrane ATPase activities of freshwater and seawater-adapted fishes were observed. Maximal activity measurements after solubilization of the enzymes by Triton X 100 confirmed these findings. The function of a membrane anion-dependent ATPase in the brachial epithelium of euryhaline fish is discussed.     

Osmoregulation in North American eels (Anguilla rostrata LeSueur) on land and in freshwater: effects of the corpuscles of Stannius

Hypercalcemia, hypomagnesia and hypophosphatemia were observed in freshwater (FW) eels (Anguilla rostrata LeSueur) after removal of the corpuscles of Stannius. These changes did not occur if Stanniectomized (CSX) eels were removed from FW and placed on land for 12 days but did occur after the eels were returned to FW. Therefore, changes in plasma electrolyte concentrations after CSX depended upon the branchial and/or integumental influx of ions. Plasma Na⁺, Cl⁻ and osmolal concentrations decreased gradually in both sham-operated (SHM) and CSX eels on land (12 days) and in FW (12 days). Plasma K⁺almost doubled in both SHM and CSX eels after 4 days on land, remained elevated, and fell abruptly to normal within a day after the eels were returned in FW. After 2 days on land, urine flow rates in SHM and CSX eels had decreased by approximately 85%, osmolar clearance by 50% and positive free-water clearance by more than 90%. Body weights did not decrease when eels were on land so it was concluded that the reduced but continuous renal loss of water was counterbalanced by the integumental uptake of condensed water. Accepted: 21 October 1998     

Factors affecting the activity of two species of eel (Anguilla spp.) in a small New Zealand lake

Fyke net captures of both the shortfinned eel, Anguilla ausrralis Richardson, and the longfinned eel. A. dieffenbachü Gray, were recorded over a 4-year period in Lake Pounui. New Zealand. Eel activity measured as catch per unit effort (CPUE) was correlated to 36 indices of water temperature water level, barometric pressure, amount of light at night and lunar period using multiple regression analysis. For longfinned eels, water temperature was the only individual parameter significantly related (P<0.001) to CPUE. The multiple regression model was improved (R²= 0.29. P <0.01) by the addition of lunar phase and change in barometric pressure. Water level was the most important parameter in the model for shortfinned eels, although water temperature and change in barometric pressure were significant influences in the predictability of the model (R²= 0.51. P<0.001.     

Orientation responses of American eels, Anguilla rostrata, to varying magnetic fields

1. The locations of freshwater yellow eels in an eight-chambered octagonal behavior tank were videotaped during six-day intervals while the animals were being subjected to normal and experimental magnetic fields. 2. The earth's magnetic field (0.5 g) was utilized for two control periods at the start and completion of each run for each animal. 3. During each run, the sequence of applied magnetic fields was +1.0, 0.0, -0.5 and -1.0 g, each being applied for a period of 24 hr. 4. Under the influence of the earth's magnetic field, the eels showed a preference for a northeast direction (27.01%). During the second control period (i.e. after being subjected to variations in the magnetic field), the animals showed a dual preference for north and northwest directions (23.02% and 25.9%, respectively). 5. In a 0.0 g field, the eels preferred the north chamber (24.43%) and the vestibule of the behavior tank (19.46%); a preference for north was also obtained with a field of +1.0 g (25.95%). 6. The preferred direction with the -0.5 and -1.0 g fields was southeast (20.93 and 26.71%, respectively).     

11-Ketotestosterone induces silvering-related changes in immature female short-finned eels, Anguilla australis.

The developmental transition from a residential, immature 'yellow' eel to a migratory, maturing adult 'silver' eel is accompanied by many morphological changes that appear to be under endocrine control. High circulating levels of the teleost, and usually male-specific, androgen 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) are found in migrating female short-finned eels, Anguilla australis. We examined the role of this steroid in silvering by implanting immature, female short-finned eels either with blank vehicles or with vehicles containing 11-KT. Six weeks after they had received the implants, eels treated with 11-KT had developed 'chisel-shaped' snouts and black pectoral fins with tapered ends, and the size of their eyes had increased significantly. 11-KT treated eels had a thicker dermis than control eels and an epidermis with fewer or no mucous cells. Ventricular mass at the end of the experiment was two-fold larger than in control eels. 11-KT treated eels also had larger livers and gonads. Ovaries contained predominantly cortical alveolus stage III oocytes, as opposed to the smaller gonads of control eels containing previtellogenic stage II oocytes. All of these changes correspond to changes during the developmental transition from yellow to silver eels in the wild. This demonstrates that silvering in eels is under endocrine control and that the presumed male-specific steroid 11-KT is capable of inducing silvering-related changes in a female teleost. We discuss how species-specific responses to 11-KT may differ depending on tissue-specific androgen receptor abundance and how a dual demand on liver function can explain the apparently positive effects of 11-KT on liver growth.