Habitat use and growth of yellow-stage European eel in coastal and freshwater ecosystems in Norway

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Authors: Rohtla, Mehis, Daverat, Françoise, Arts, Michael, Browman, Howard, Parzanini, Camilla, Skiftesvik, Anne Berit, Thorstad, Eva, van der Meeren, Terje, Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn, Durif, Caroline M.F.
• Other Authors: University of Tartu, Ecologie Comportementale et Biologie des Populations de Poissons (ECOBIOP), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Toronto Metropolitan University, Institute of marine research, Austevoll Research Station (IMR), Institute of Marine Research Bergen (IMR), University of Bergen (UiB)-University of Bergen (UiB), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences Oslo, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Oslo, University of Oslo (UiO)-University of Oslo (UiO)-Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Oslo, University of Oslo (UiO)-University of Oslo (UiO), Unit of Physiology and Program in Neurosciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg-Department of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2023
• Subjects: otolith microchemistry; anguillids; Anguilla anguilla; salinity; age; growth rate; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Norway; European eel
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04228437; https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2022-0033

Many anguillid eel species display facultative catadromy. Some eel spend their entire life cycle in marine coastal areas, but the geographical extent of this, especially at the extremes of their distributional ranges, is unknown. We analysed otolith Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca from yellow-stage European eel ( Anguilla anguilla) sampled along the coast of Norway and in several freshwater lakes (58°N–63°N), to infer their initial settlement and later life movement patterns with regards to habitat salinity. Most eel (80%) sampled in marine habitats ( n = 371) had settled and remained in marine water, but 20% had moved between marine and freshwater habitats and were hence classified as inter-habitat shifters. Among freshwater sampled eel ( n = 99), 80% had settled and remained in fresh water, but 20% were classified as inter-habitat shifters. The average growth rates for marine water residents, inter-habitat shifters, and freshwater residents were 35, 27, and 17 mm·year –1 , respectively. Northern European shallow marine habitats may serve as important yellow eel growth habitats and may be critical to buffer the European eel population against the general decrease in continental recruitment.