Development of the silver eel (Anguilla marmorata) gonad during downstream migration in the Lake Poso system, Central Sulawesi

Abstract

The Lake Poso system is located in Central Sulawesi and is connected to the Tomini Bay by the Poso River. It is known that five out of nine Indonesian eel species were found at the Poso River. Anguilla marmorata is the most caught species. However, uncontrolled catching during downstream migration and the construction of a hydropower plant threaten the silver eel in the Lake Poso system. Research on silver eel (A. marmorata) in Lake Poso was conducted to determine and compare the condition of gonad development as part of the reproductive process. This represents essential information in eel fisheries management in Lake Poso. The eels were collected through bamboo traps (waya masapi). The present study calculates the GSI and HSI values, and histological analyses characterize the gonad. The GSI of eel ranges from 1.95 to 5.69%, and the HSI value ranges from 0.83 to 1.16%. Histological observation showed that eels from Tentena (Lake Poso outlet) and from the estuary of Poso River have ovaries in the early vitellogenic stage (III) and the vitellogenic stage (IV).