Eunuch eels

[Richard Freeman]

Dear All
I am a zoologist currently researching mutations in the common European eel (Anguilla anguilla). I am perusing a line of research that, to my knowledge, no one has studied before. Who better to ask that the great angling public!

For many years there have been claims that some individuals of the common eel do not sexually develop on swim out to sea to breed. Instead they remain in fresh water and keep growing. No one seems to know how long these sterile eels live or how big they get.They are referred to as eunuch eels.

I have already uncovered accounts of exceptionally sized eels but I am looking for more information. If anyone has see, or has knowledge of gigantic eels in fresh water then I would be very grateful if they would contact me. My e-mails is below.
Many thanks Richard Freeman

richard.dragon@lycos.co.uk

 

[madpiker]

what size do you consider gigantic?combwich ponds near bridgwater in somerset contains eels up to 8lbs,i`ve seen a pic of a 7.5 pounder.
i`ve also heard that the biggest conger are probably barren and never breed,hence why they get to such a large size.

 

[paul williams 2]

Richard.....how can you possibly prove or disprove these theories?.......how can we follow such a thing?

 

[Phil Piper]

i am not a zoologist and i am not researching anything in particular at the moment but if anybody would like to send me information regarding exceptionaly sized pike ie. names of waters ,swim details, best baits, best moon phase,etc.etc you can contact me at. havin a laugh .com

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay]

The record rod and line caught eel was just over 11 lbs.

During the 60s, **** walker and some of his friends witnessed an eel that weighed 17 lbs which came up during weed cutting operations on the Hampshire Avon. In some other countries of the world migratory eels have reached very large sizes. New Zealand gets eels over 20lbs.

In 1979 I caught an eel - Anguilla mossambiqa from a large man made reservoir in South Africa on a spinnerbait whilst bass fishing. These eels spawn in the Mozambique channel in the Indian Ocean. It weighed 5 kg.

 

[swordsy]

I know of an eel that has lived in a culvert for 10 years.

 

[Richard Freeman]

Thanks for the response. I'm not an angler myself so descriptions in weight mean nothing to me. Could you describe them in length?

As for proving the theories, examination or dissetion would show if the ell was sexualy develpoed or not. I would allso check the body for build up of PCBs and Beta Blocker chemicals, both implicated in causing sterility in fish.

 

[Giles Hill]

Eel fishing is a specialised branch of angling and you may have more luck approaching one of the following groups directly:

National Anguilla Club
The Eel Study Group
The Eel Conservation Society

I believe the National Anguilla Club is the best known of the three organisations, but I can't find their website. The following address is for the Eel Study Group

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/saa/esg/

Tip: You will need large ammounts of tact if you are looking for large eels to dissect; these people are more likely to offer you their dog/cat/wife/child for dissection!

 

[alan]

The Eel is in danger of being wiped out, and you want to cut them up?

so much for conservation.

 

[Giles Hill]

'The Eel is in danger of being wiped out, and you want to cut them up?'

The theory was that big eels may be sterile, so you could cut up as many 7 & 8lb fish as you can catch.

Just watch out for John Sidley's Ghost!

 

[alan]

"The theory was that big eels may be sterile"

and if the theroy is wrong?

 

[Richard Freeman]

Thanks for the info Giles.
As for the others, if there are chemicals effecting fish sterility wouldn't you want to know about it? This will effect fish populations and your sport. A coleauge of mine is investigating the same phenomena in trout.

 

[paul williams 2]

Richard,
I'm sure we would like to know if chemicals are effecting fish sterility.....in fact isn't it a proven fact that they are?
Don't know if you are an angler or not Richard but you are asking one of the most secretive sections of our sport questions they may not be happy to answer.......netters can be very underhanded in finding eel waters!

 

[stephen cotton]

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought "yellow eels" did not have any sexual organs until they turn into "silver eels" ready for their seaward migration. As well as changing in outward colour their eyes also grow in size. So how would cutting up barren eels who never get the urge to spawn help in telling if they are sterile if they haven't developed any sex organs? In my experience eels of 3lb or more are rare in most British waters and getting rarer. Eels of 6lb or more are extremly rare and are possibly over 50 years of age. In my opinion killing such fish would be a travesty. I am not sure how yet another study will help the eels plight, only an outright ban on the exploitation of eels will help in this regard. I can only hope that such measures will come from the EEC where stocks of eels are now very poor.

 

[Milo]

Just this this article posted on the BBC news site: <a target='_new' href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4432951.stm">Asia demand threatens French eels<a/>