Species composition, abundance and seasonal inshore recruitment patterns of the tropical eels Anguilla spp. to Viti Levu, Fiji Islands in the western South Pacific

To understand the inshore recruitment mechanisms of tropical eels, Anguilla spp., we collected 1368 glass eels at the mouth of a small river at Namelimeli, approximately 2km East of Navua Town, Fiji Islands between April 2015 and June 2016. Specimens were identified using both morphological characters and DNA barcoding to only 3 species; one short-finned Anguilla obscura and two long-finned eels A. marmorata and A. megastoma. A. obscura was the most abundant species (55% of collected glass eels) with peak recruitment periods from February to April. A. marmorata was the second most abundant species (41.4% of collected glass eels) with peak recruitment periods in April 2015 and September to October 2015. A. megastoma only comprised of 3.9% of collected glass eels with peak recruitment periods in April 2015 and October 2015. A. obscura and A. marmorata were present in samples almost throughout the year suggesting that tropical eels recruit to some degree throughout the year. Results suggest that peak recruitment occurs during seasons of heavy rain, from September to October and February to April commencing one hour after sunset on the day following new moon