Timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two European watersheds are determined by similar cues
Many animals perform long-distance migrations in order to maximize lifetime reproductive success. The European eel migrates several thousand kilometers between their feeding habitats in continental waters (fresh-,brackish, and sea water) and their spawning area in the Sargasso Sea. Eels residing in...
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2017
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2447008 https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3099 |
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ftninstnf:oai:brage.nina.no:11250/2447008 2023-05-15T13:27:36+02:00 Timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two European watersheds are determined by similar cues Sandlund, Odd Terje Diserud, Ola Håvard Poole, Russell Bergesen, Knut Aanestad Dillane, Mary Rogan, Gerard Durif, Caroline Thorstad, Eva Bonsak Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn Europe, Sargasso Sea, Burrishole, Ireland, Imsa, Norway 2017 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2447008 https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3099 eng eng Andre: The Irish Marine Institute Andre: European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commissio Andre: The Norwegian Environment Agency urn:issn:2045-7758 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2447008 https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3099 cristin:1478753 Navngivelse 4.0 Internasjonal http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.no CC-BY Ecology and Evolution Anguilla anguilla daily variation environmental variables freshwater migration migration onset silver eel Journal article Peer reviewed 2017 ftninstnf https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3099 2021-12-23T07:17:13Z Many animals perform long-distance migrations in order to maximize lifetime reproductive success. The European eel migrates several thousand kilometers between their feeding habitats in continental waters (fresh-,brackish, and sea water) and their spawning area in the Sargasso Sea. Eels residing in freshwaters usually initiate their spawning migration as silver eels during autumn, triggered by diverse environmental cues. We analyzed the time series of silver eel downstream migration in Burrishoole, Ireland (1971–2015), and Imsa, Norway (1975–2015), to examine factors regulating the silver eel migration from freshwater to the sea. The migration season (90% of the run) generally lasted from 1 August to 30 November. Environmental factors acting in the months before migration impacted timing and duration of migration, likely through influencing the internal processes preparing the fish for migration. Once the migration had started, environmental factors impacted the day-to-day variation in number of migrants, apparently stimulating migration among those eels ready for migration. Both the day-to-day variation in the number of migrants and the onset of migration were described by nearly identical models in the two rivers. Variables explaining day-to-day variation were all associated with conditions that may minimize predation risk; number of migrants was reduced under a strong moon and short nights and increased during high and increasing water levels. Presence of other migrants stimulated migration, which further indicates that silver eel migration has evolved to minimize predation risk. The onset of migration was explained mainly by water levels in August. The models for duration of the migration season were less similar between the sites. Thus, the overall migration season seems governed by the need to reach the spawning areas in a synchronized manner, while during the actual seaward migration, antipredator behavior seems of overriding importance. Anguilla anguilla, daily variation, environmental variables, freshwater migration, migration onset, silver eel publishedVersion Article in Journal/Newspaper Anguilla anguilla Norwegian Institute for Nature Research: Brage NINA Norway Ecology and Evolution 7 15 5956 5966 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research: Brage NINA |
op_collection_id |
ftninstnf |
language |
English |
topic |
Anguilla anguilla daily variation environmental variables freshwater migration migration onset silver eel |
spellingShingle |
Anguilla anguilla daily variation environmental variables freshwater migration migration onset silver eel Sandlund, Odd Terje Diserud, Ola Håvard Poole, Russell Bergesen, Knut Aanestad Dillane, Mary Rogan, Gerard Durif, Caroline Thorstad, Eva Bonsak Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn Timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two European watersheds are determined by similar cues |
topic_facet |
Anguilla anguilla daily variation environmental variables freshwater migration migration onset silver eel |
description |
Many animals perform long-distance migrations in order to maximize lifetime reproductive success. The European eel migrates several thousand kilometers between their feeding habitats in continental waters (fresh-,brackish, and sea water) and their spawning area in the Sargasso Sea. Eels residing in freshwaters usually initiate their spawning migration as silver eels during autumn, triggered by diverse environmental cues. We analyzed the time series of silver eel downstream migration in Burrishoole, Ireland (1971–2015), and Imsa, Norway (1975–2015), to examine factors regulating the silver eel migration from freshwater to the sea. The migration season (90% of the run) generally lasted from 1 August to 30 November. Environmental factors acting in the months before migration impacted timing and duration of migration, likely through influencing the internal processes preparing the fish for migration. Once the migration had started, environmental factors impacted the day-to-day variation in number of migrants, apparently stimulating migration among those eels ready for migration. Both the day-to-day variation in the number of migrants and the onset of migration were described by nearly identical models in the two rivers. Variables explaining day-to-day variation were all associated with conditions that may minimize predation risk; number of migrants was reduced under a strong moon and short nights and increased during high and increasing water levels. Presence of other migrants stimulated migration, which further indicates that silver eel migration has evolved to minimize predation risk. The onset of migration was explained mainly by water levels in August. The models for duration of the migration season were less similar between the sites. Thus, the overall migration season seems governed by the need to reach the spawning areas in a synchronized manner, while during the actual seaward migration, antipredator behavior seems of overriding importance. Anguilla anguilla, daily variation, environmental variables, freshwater migration, migration onset, silver eel publishedVersion |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sandlund, Odd Terje Diserud, Ola Håvard Poole, Russell Bergesen, Knut Aanestad Dillane, Mary Rogan, Gerard Durif, Caroline Thorstad, Eva Bonsak Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn |
author_facet |
Sandlund, Odd Terje Diserud, Ola Håvard Poole, Russell Bergesen, Knut Aanestad Dillane, Mary Rogan, Gerard Durif, Caroline Thorstad, Eva Bonsak Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn |
author_sort |
Sandlund, Odd Terje |
title |
Timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two European watersheds are determined by similar cues |
title_short |
Timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two European watersheds are determined by similar cues |
title_full |
Timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two European watersheds are determined by similar cues |
title_fullStr |
Timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two European watersheds are determined by similar cues |
title_full_unstemmed |
Timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two European watersheds are determined by similar cues |
title_sort |
timing and pattern of annual silver eel migration in two european watersheds are determined by similar cues |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2447008 https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3099 |
op_coverage |
Europe, Sargasso Sea, Burrishole, Ireland, Imsa, Norway |
geographic |
Norway |
geographic_facet |
Norway |
genre |
Anguilla anguilla |
genre_facet |
Anguilla anguilla |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution |
op_relation |
Andre: The Irish Marine Institute Andre: European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commissio Andre: The Norwegian Environment Agency urn:issn:2045-7758 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2447008 https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3099 cristin:1478753 |
op_rights |
Navngivelse 4.0 Internasjonal http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.no |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3099 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
15 |
container_start_page |
5956 |
op_container_end_page |
5966 |
_version_ |
1766399345135976448 |