International eel symposium, 2003 - Quebec August 11, 2003
Poster Session

Annual Survey of Glass Eel (Anguilla rostrata) Recruitment in the Marine District of New York State

Vecchio, V.J.* NY Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, Bureau of Marine Resources, East Setauket, New York, USA.
O'Riordan, H.N. NY Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, Bureau of Marine Resources, East Setauket, New York, USA.
Saulino, R. NY Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, Bureau of Marine Resources, East Setauket, New York, USA.
Prussick, C.B. NY Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, Bureau of Marine Resources, East Setauket, New York, USA.

Presenter email address: vjvecchi AT gw.dec.state.ny.us

Abstract Text: Beginning 2000, New York initiated a survey to investigate glass eel recruitment, and deployed a glass eel fyke in the tidal portion of the Carman's River, which flows south for 17.7 kilometers into Bellport Bay on Long Island's south shore. The watershed area is 182 square kilometers. The tidal portion of the river is 5.8 kilometers (NYSDEC 1995). The fyke is checked daily between March and April. The catch of glass eels was 13,491 during 2002; 1,877 during 2000, and 353 during 2001. The catch of elvers was 459 during 2002; 316 during 2000, and 157 during 2001. The geometric mean catch of glass eels was significantly higher in 2002 than in the previous two years (SAS, 1988). The geometric mean catch of elvers was also significantly higher in 2002 than in the two previous years (SAS, 1988). During 2002, 1,072 glass eels and 291 elvers were measured for length and weight. Glass eels were examined for their pigmentation stage by methods described in Haro, A.J., and W.H. Krueger, 1988. Mean length of glass eels was 61.0 millimeters and ranged between 49.7-74.4 millimeters. Mean weight of glass eels was 0.175 grams and ranged between 0.082-0.358 grams. 92% of the glass eels examined for pigmentation were graded stage 2, 3, or 4, with 40% graded stage #3. Mean length of the 291 elvers was 82.8 millimeters and ranged between 62.4-149.4 millimeters. Mean weight of elvers was 0.678 grams and ranged between 0.237-4.212 grams.