Effects of temperature on vitellogenesis in Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

Cultured immature female Japanese eels acclimated to sea water at either 10 or 20°C were treated weekly with salmon gonadotropin fraction (sGTH) in order to investigate the effects of water temperature on artificial induction of ovarian maturation. In eels maintained at 20°C, ovulation was induced in 11 of 18 fish during the experimental period of 13 weeks, whereas at 10°C all fish showed a low gonadosomatic index (GSI) at the end of the experiment. Plasma vitellogenin levels were higher in eels kept at 20°C than in eels at 10°C throughout the experiment. However, no significant differences were observed in the plasma testosterone and estradiol-17β levels between groups. Eels pretreated with sGTHs at 10°C for 13 weeks were separated to two different temperature (10 and 20°C) groups, and received the same weekly sGTH injections. In eels transferred to 20°C, plasma vitellogenin levels, GSI and oocyte diameter were increased, but these values were maintained at low levels in eels that remained at 10°C. These results clearly indicate that water temperature is an important factor regulating vitellogenesis in the Japanese eel.