Silvering process of female European eel in the north Adriatic: Who is really ready to migrate?

During the 1970s and 2010, the population of Anguilla anguilla declined significantly, and the species is now classified as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Considering its social, economic, and ecological importance, it is necessary to understand the biological mechanism that controls population dynamics, in particular the passage from the resident phase to the migratory phase. During this phase of their life cycle, the environment plays a key role in the maturation of the spawners which will eventually undertake a long spawning migration to the Sargasso Sea. An assessment of the morphological characteristics of eels during their silvering process and reproductive activity was conducted by collecting 1513 female eels from seven lagoons in the North Adriatic Sea. Morphometric analyses show that eels classified as pre-migratory according to the Silver Index are histologically (65% of eels with oocytes in the most advanced stage of development) and morphologically ready to migrate. Accordingly, pre-migrant eels treated with hormone induction performed similarly to migrant eels. They mated and spawned spontaneously in the tank with a percentage of 81.0%, and 88.2% of them produced viable eggs. The results showed how the North Adriatic lagoons could present favourable conditions that permit the fast development of females with high reproductive potential. This data can be used to develop successful strategies to conserve and manage eel populations. •New achievements on knowledge in European eel biology and ecology.•Reproductive activity of pre-migrant eels is in line with migrant eels.•North Adriatic lagoons present favourable growth conditions.