DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY FOR EMBRYONIC AND LARVAL REARING OF THE EUROPEAN EEL

摘要

The decline of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) has brought attention to the need for sustainable exploitation of the stock (ICES, 2011). Eel is a valued species targeted for aquaculture production. Presently, aquaculture and restocking programs relyexclusively on the supply of glass eels, thus captive reproduction for a self-sustained production would be a major step forward. Recent experimental research in the international PRO-EEL project (www.pro-eel.eu) has led to the successful production of many large egg batches, with high fertilization rates, and viable embryos and larvae from both wild-caught and farmed eels. This promising progress urges the need for new and innovative techniques and technology for embryonic and larval rearing. Here, weevaluated the effects of oxygen (O2) and water source on hatch success and light stimuli on larval activity. Our hope is that this work will shed light on new rearing protocols to produce sufficient larvae for future feeding trails.