The Seaward Migration of European Eel at a Continental Scale: A Europe-Wide Biotelemetry Meta-Analysis
ABSTRACT The European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) has a catadromous life cycle, with a single panmictic population that colonises continental Europe and northern Africa yet migrates 5000 to 9000 km to spawn in the Atlantic Ocean. It is unknown how this continental migration is organised so individual eels arrive in time for spawning with conspecifics. This meta-analysis combined tracking data from 18 water bodies in freshwater and transitional systems distributed along the southwest-northeast axis of Europe, resulting in a dataset of 2306 eels, making it the most comprehensive in terms of geographical coverage and number of eels tagged. The eels were tracked using acoustic telemetry and the Nedap Trail System and allowed us to study the eel's migration phenology at a continental scale. The findings reveal that the day when eels arrive at sea varies significantly with latitude, with northern eels arriving earlier. Migration speed differs between tidal and non-tidal habitats, suggesting that tidal currents facilitate faster movement. However, despite these patterns, we observed substantial variability in arrival at sea time and migration speed within water bodies, suggesting that the eel's migration phenology is considerably plastic. The presence of water regulating structures such as weirs, pumping stations and hydropower plants can impact migration timing and speed, potentially delaying eels, but is likely dependent on local hydrological conditions which can be water body specific.
Details
| Number of pages | 1 |
|---|---|
| Volume | n/a |
| Magazine issue | n/a |
| Type | A1: Web of Science-article |
| Category | Research |
| Magazine | Fish and Fisheries |
| Language | English |
Bibtex
@misc{53919a77-65ee-4402-8a60-540ee5fc7501,
title = "The Seaward Migration of European Eel at a Continental Scale: A Europe-Wide Biotelemetry Meta-Analysis",
abstract = "ABSTRACT The European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) has a catadromous life cycle, with a single panmictic population that colonises continental Europe and northern Africa yet migrates 5000 to 9000 km to spawn in the Atlantic Ocean. It is unknown how this continental migration is organised so individual eels arrive in time for spawning with conspecifics. This meta-analysis combined tracking data from 18 water bodies in freshwater and transitional systems distributed along the southwest-northeast axis of Europe, resulting in a dataset of 2306 eels, making it the most comprehensive in terms of geographical coverage and number of eels tagged. The eels were tracked using acoustic telemetry and the Nedap Trail System and allowed us to study the eel's migration phenology at a continental scale. The findings reveal that the day when eels arrive at sea varies significantly with latitude, with northern eels arriving earlier. Migration speed differs between tidal and non-tidal habitats, suggesting that tidal currents facilitate faster movement. However, despite these patterns, we observed substantial variability in arrival at sea time and migration speed within water bodies, suggesting that the eel's migration phenology is considerably plastic. The presence of water regulating structures such as weirs, pumping stations and hydropower plants can impact migration timing and speed, potentially delaying eels, but is likely dependent on local hydrological conditions which can be water body specific.",
author = "Pieterjan Verhelst and David Righton and Kim Aarestrup and Pedro R. Almeida and Tea Bašić and Jonathan D. Bolland and Liam J. Carter and Johan Coeck and José Lino Costa and Justas Dainys and Jan Grimsrud Davidsen and Isabel Domingos and Malte Dorow and Eric Feunteun and Jens Frankowski and Arie Benjamin Griffioen and Rui Miguel Monteiro and Andy Moore and Damiano Oldoni and Adam T. Piper and Bernardo R. Quintella and Jake Reeds and Thomas Trancart and Pieter Verschelde and Hendrik Volken Winter and Jan Reubens",
year = "2025",
month = may,
day = "22",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12904",
language = "English",
publisher = "Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek",
address = "Belgium,
type = "Other"
}
Authors
Pieterjan VerhelstDavid Righton
Kim Aarestrup
Pedro R. Almeida
Tea Bašić
Jonathan D. Bolland
Liam J. Carter
Johan Coeck
José Lino Costa
Justas Dainys
Jan Grimsrud Davidsen
Isabel Domingos
Malte Dorow
Eric Feunteun
Jens Frankowski
Arie Benjamin Griffioen
Rui Miguel Monteiro
Andy Moore
Damiano Oldoni
Adam T. Piper
Bernardo R. Quintella
Jake Reeds
Thomas Trancart
Pieter Verschelde
Hendrik Volken Winter
Jan Reubens
