Seasonal and diel patterns of stream invasion by American eels (Anguilla rostrata) in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence

Abstract

Seasonal and diel patterns of stream invasion by American eels (Anguilla rostrata) were monitored in a small stream located on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence from 1981 to 1985. Glass eels and elvers migrated from the sea in late June and July. Glass eels made up only a small percentage of the migrants. Pigmentation progressed quickly in the estuary, but elvers grew very slowly. Migration from the estuary and through the lower reaches of the stream was slow; no glass eels or elvers occurred at a station located only 4 km from saltwater. Juvenile eels reached that station in their second summer of stream residence. Juvenile eels migrated in July and August. They ranged from 70 to 250 mm in length and included more than one age-class. Those less than 100 mm in length were most numerous. Relative abundance of glass eels and elvers decreased in the estuary from 1981 to 1985. This coincided with a decrease in the proportion of smaller sized eels in the stream migration over the same period. Juvenile eels migrated progressively later in summer as the proportion of smaller sized eels decreased. Stream migration was nocturnal. Movements mainly occurred between 21:00 and 23:00. The relationship between glass eel and elver abundance in the estuary and juvenile eel abundance in the stream 1 and 2 years later was not clear.