Cost of transport and optimal swimming speed in farmed and wild European silver eels (Anguilla anguilla)

A swimming speed of 0.4 meters per second (m s− 1) is the minimal speed for European female silver eels to reach the spawning sites in the Sargasso Sea in time. As silver eels cease feeding when they start their oceanic migration, the cost of transport (COT) should be minimised and the swimming speed optimised to attain the highest energetic efficiency. In this study, we have investigated the optimal swimming speed (Uopt) of silver eels since Uopt may be higher than the minimal swimming speed and is more likely to resemble the actual cruise speed. A variety of swimming tests were performed to compare endurance swimming between farmed eels and wild eels, both in freshwater and in seawater. The swimming tests were run with 101 silver female eels (60–96 cm, 400–1500 g) in 22 Blazka-type swim tunnels in a climatised room at 18 °C with running freshwater or seawater. Tests were run at 0.5–1.0 m s− 1 with increments of 0.1 m s− 1, and either 2 h or 12 h intervals. Remarkably, both tests revealed no changes in oxygen consumption (M˙O2) and COT over time. Uopt values ranged between 0.61 and 0.68 m s− 1 (0.74–1.02 BL s− 1) for the different groups and were thus 53–70% higher than the minimal speed. At Uopt, the COT was 37–50 mg O2 kg− 1 km− 1. These relatively very low values confirm our earlier observations. COT values in seawater were about 20% higher than in freshwater. Assuming that migrating female silver eels cruise at their Uopt, they will be able to cover the distance to the Sargasso Sea in 3–4 months, leaving ample time for final maturation and finding mates.