Life history characteristics and strategies of the American eel, <i>Anguilla rostrata</i>

Several life history hypotheses for the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, were examined using seaward-migrating silver-phase eels collected in the Annaquatucket River, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Female eels were significantly larger and older than males. Female eels also had a significantly higher mean growth rate. The addition of life history data from Annaquatucket River eels to published silver eel data from locations throughout the eels' range shows that female size at migration is positively correlated with latitude (r = 0.56, p = 0.05) but male size is not (r = 0.54, p = 0.17). Female age was not related to latitude (r = 0.57, p = 0.27) but male age showed a positive relationship (r = 0.87, p = 0.05). Growth rates for females and males were inversely related to latitude (r = -0.98, p = 0.02 and r = -0.95, p = 0.05, respectively). Differences between the latitudinal relationships and life history traits of the sexes may be due to differences in life history strategies.