On the food of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), in the upper zone of the Tagus estuary, Portugal

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Costa, J. L., Assis, C. A., Almeida, P. R., Moreira, F. M., Costa, M. J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1992
• Subjects: Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1992.tb02712.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8649.1992.tb02712.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1992.tb02712.x

The estuarine food habits of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), in the upper zone of the Tagus estuary have been studied through the analysis of 210 specimens collected during 1988. Eels, measuring from 136 to 627 mm in total length, fed on prey organisms ranging from 2.0 to 76.0 mm in length. Amphipods and the shore crab, Carcinus maenas (L.), were the most important food items found. In more saline muddy bottom areas polychaetes, bivalves and shrimp increased their importance as prey, replacing the amphipods as preferential food. Fish were always a secondary, although significant, prey item. The occurrence of seasonal variations in eels' diet could be attributed to fluctuations in prey densities. There was evidence of a close relationship between the quantity of prey organisms in the benthos and the composition of eels' stomach contents, but a certain degree of food selection based on size, concealment capacity and motility of prey, was found.