Rare earth elements (REEs) are metallic with electronic, magnetic, optical and catalytic properties which make them essential in many industrial medical fields. REEs therefore becoming emerging pollutants it is important to understand their implications for ecosystem health. However, little knowledge of REE bioaccumulation aquatic organisms available especially on internal distribution fish. In...

The life history of the European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) begins in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean where the Leptocephalus larvae drift with the gulf stream in order to reach European coastal waters. After their metamorphosis into transparent juveniles "glass" eels and an acclimatising phase in the estuaries, they migrate upstream into the rivers to become yellow eels (sub-adult stage). ...

Two phenotypes are present within the European eel population: broad-heads and narrow-heads. The expression of these phenotypes has been linked to several factors, such as diet and differential growth. The exact factors causing this dimorphism, however, are still unknown. In this study, we performed a feeding experiment on glass eels from the moment they start to feed. Eels were either fed a ha...

Species at risk with secretive breeding behaviours, low densities, and wide geographic range pose a significant challenge to conservation actions because population trends are difficult to detect. Such is the case with the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), a seabird listed as 'Threatened' by the Species at Risk Act in Canada largely due to the loss of its old growth forest nesting ha...

Movement patterns of seaward migrating European eel (Anguilla anguilla) 1 at a complex of riverine barriers: implications for conservation 2 A. T. Piper, J. C. Svendsen, R. M. Wright & P. S. Kemp 3 4 International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research, School of Civil Engineering and the 5 Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK;, National 6 Institute of Aquatic ...

Anguillid freshwater eels show remarkable life histories. In the Atlantic, the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and American eel (Anguilla rostrata) undertake extensive migrations to spawn in the oceanic Sargasso Sea, and subsequently the offspring drift to foraging areas in Europe and North America, first as leaf-like leptocephali larvae that later metamorphose into glass eels. Since recruitme...

The focus of the present study was to set a methodological approach for evaluating molecular mechanisms underlying silvering transformation in the European eel, Anguilla anguilla. Silvering is a tightly controlled process during which eels undergo significant morphological, physiological and behavioral changes, pre-adapting for the oceanic spawning migration. Female eels showing different silve...

The presence of putative neuromodulators in the nerve fibres was investigated in white skeletal muscle of two teleost fish not taxonomically correlated and showing different patterns of innervation (multiple versus focal innervation). Cryostat sections of epaxial, hypaxial and adductor mandibulae (AM) muscles of Sparus aurata and Anguilla anguilla were stained histochemically for reduced nicoti...