Eel migration to the Sargasso: remarkably high swimming efficiency and low energy costs
2005
SUMMARY One of the mysteries of the animal kingdom is the long-distance migration
(5000–6000 km) of the European eel Anguilla anguilla L. from
the coasts of Europe to its spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea. The only
evidence for the location of the spawning site of the European eel in the
Sargasso Sea is the discovery by Johannes Schmidt at the beginning of the
previous century of the smallest eel larvae (leptocephali) near the Sargasso
Sea. For years it has been questioned whether the fasting eels have sufficient
energy reserves to cover this enormous distance. We have tested Schmidt9s
theory by placing eels in swim tunnels in the laboratory and allowing them to
make a simulated migration of 5500 km. We find that eels swim 4–6 times
more efficiently than non-eel-like fish. Our findings are an important advance
in this field because they remove a central objection to Schmidt9s theory by
showing that their energy reserves are, in principle, sufficient for the
migration. Conclusive proof of the Sargasso Sea theory is likely to come from
satellite tracking technology.
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