Abstract
THE life history of the eel is complex and despite many investigations little is known about its embryonic development. Some investigators such as Grassi and Calandriccio (1896: cited in ref. 1) and Fish1, described the supposed early development of eels, using developing eggs collected by a trawl for young fish in suspected spawning grounds of eels. The time of fertilisation of these eggs, however, was unknown, and the species involved was uncertain. Artificial maturation of eels by hormonal treatment is another approach which has been attempted by many workers2–6. They all, however, failed to obtain mature eggs and sperm and thus to clarify the embryonic development of eels. Here we describe the first success with this approach.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fish, M. P., Zoologica, 8, 287–424 (1927).
Bruun, A. F., Hemmingsen, A. M., and Møller-Christensen, E., Acta Endocrinol., 2, 212–226 (1949).
Møller-Christensen, E., Bruun, A. F., and Hemmingsen, A. M., Acta Endocrinol., 28, 103–111 (1958).
Boetius, J., Boetius, I., Hemmingsen, A. M., Bruun, A. F., and Moller-Christensen, E., Medr. Danm. Fisk.-og Havunders., 3, 183–198 (1962).
Fontaine, M., Bertrand, E., Lopez, E., and Callamand, O., C.rSeanc. hebd. Acad. Sci. Paris, 259, 2907–2910 (1964).
Ohkami, H., and lizuka, M., Rep. Shizuoka Fish. exp. Stat., 140–142 (1965).
Yamamoto, K., Hiroi, O., Hirano, T., and Morioka, T., Bull. Jap. Soc. scient. Fish., 38, 1083–1090 (1972).
Yamamoto, K., Morioka, T., Hiroi, O., and Omori, M., Bull. Jap. Soc. scient. Fish., 40, 1–7 (1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
YAMAMOTO, K., YAMAUCHI, K. Sexual maturation of Japanese eel and production of eel larvae in the aquarium. Nature 251, 220–222 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/251220a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/251220a0
This article is cited by
-
Several possible spawning sites of the Japanese eel determined from collections of their eggs and preleptocephali
Fisheries Science (2021)
-
Effects of rearing temperature manipulation on oocyte maturation progress in Japanese eel
Fisheries Science (2021)
-
Estimation of the spawning time of Japanese eels in the open ocean
Scientific Reports (2020)
-
The time-keeping hormone melatonin: a possible key cue for puberty in freshwater eels (Anguilla spp.)
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (2019)
-
Development and validation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays specific for follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in Japanese eel
Fisheries Science (2019)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
