Differences in head shape of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.)

• Published in: Fisheries Management and Ecology
• Main Authors: Proman, J. M., Reynolds, J. D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2000
• Subjects: Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2400.2000.007004349.x; http://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1046%2Fj.1365-2400.2000.007004349.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1046/j.1365-2400.2000.007004349.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-2400.2000.007004349.x

Differences in eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), head shape were the result of greater increases in head width, rather than changes in head length. The ratio of head width:total length (HW:TL) increased significantly ( t ‐test, P < 0.05) from the glass‐yellow eel stage. Cultured yellow eels were exclusively narrow headed (mean HW:TL = 0.027, range = 0.023–0.032), while wild yellow eels displayed an array of head shapes (mean HW:TL = 0.033, range = 0.023–0.046). Therefore, broad heads (HW:TL 0.033) occurred only among wild yellow eels sampled and may have resulted from diet. Cultured yellow eels consumed only small pellet material. Of wild yellow eels stomachs containing food, 78% of broad‐headed eels consumed large and/or hard‐bodied organisms (e.g. beetles, fish, molluscs and Notonecta sp.), while 83% of narrow‐headed eels consumed exclusively small/soft‐bodied prey (e.g. amphipods and chironomids).