Estuarine habitat preferences of Anguilla australis and A. reinhardtii glass eels as inferred from laboratory experiments

Abstract

We tested the habitat preferences of Anguillaaustralis (shortfin) and A. reinhardtii (longfin) glass eels using circular tanks in an aquarium, containing four types of estuarine habitat (sand, mud, rocks/cobbles and seagrass). Shortfin eels either showed a tendency to occur in heterogeneous habitats, or in rocks/cobbles. Longfin glass eels showed a significant preference for rocks/cobbles in both experiments. Tests on shortfin and longfin glass eels in tanks with only rocks/cobbles available showed that eels were not clumped, indicating that individuals select habitat for re-settlement independently. Therefore, we assumed that the uneven distribution of glass eels observed in the habitat type experiments were the result of habitat preference. Given a choice of habitats in tank experiments, shortfin and longfin glass eels preferred habitats containing structure, and in particular, rocks/cobbles.