Journal Article
The last stage in the life history of the European conger eel Conger conger : a transformation before death
Pietro Battaglia; David Smith; Giovanni Ammendolia; Mauro Cavallaro; Teresa Maggio; Pierpaolo Consoli; Maria C. Guerrera; Franco Andaloro; Teresa Romeo
Journal of Fish Biology · Vol. 96, Issue 2 · pp. 533-538 · 2020
Abstract
The taxonomic, morphological and meristic features of a dark eel caught by commercial trawling off the Gulf of Patti, southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, February 17, 2017, showed it to be a female Conger conger . Histological analysis of gonads demonstrated that the individual was in a post‐spawning phase. X‐ray radiographs showed widespread decalcification of skeleton and teeth loss, confirming a strong mobilisation of somatic energy reserves needed for reproductive development.