Rhythmic swimming activity in Anguilla anguilla glass eels: Synchronisation to water current reversal under laboratory conditions

Synchronisation of swimming activity to water current reversal every 6.2 h was tested in the European glass eel (Anguilla anguilla L.). When presented with a change in water current direction, glass eels exhibited rhythmic patterns of activity with a period close to the tidal one. Glass eels began to swim with the current and then alternated between positive and negative rheotaxis after each change in the water current direction. Results are discussed in relation to the flood tidal transport theory. Following synchronisation to current reversal, glass eels subjected to constant conditions displayed a weak rhythmic activity suggesting that locomotor behaviour might, in the wild, synchronise to several environmental cues related to the tide. Results obtained with different densities also suggest that social cues might improve the synchronisation.