Biometrics, growth, and age of European eel, Anguilla anguilla in the Lake Bafa, Türkiye

This study aims to determine the age and growth of Anguilla anguilla from Lake Bafa, T & uuml;rkiye. A total of 128 samples of European eel were purchased from a small-scale fisherman who caught them in Lake Bafa in November 2016 and 2017, using 34-mm mesh size and 15-m-long fyke nets. The total length (TL) and total weight were measured, and the sex, age, and life stage were identified. The mean TL for females was 54.1 +/- 10.1 (36.1-76.2) cm, and for males 43.6 +/- 3.7 (35.7-47.8) cm. Yellow and silver eel mean TLs were 48.9 +/- 6.6 (35.7-63.7) and 61.9 +/- 10.8 (39.9-77.2) cm, respectively, and for pooled data 53.3 +/- 10.3 (35.7-77.2) cm. The growth for pooled samples was positive allometric. The age of eels varied from 2 to 9 years. The Von Bertalanffy growth parameters for pooled specimens were determined as L infinity = 71.9 cm, K = 0.25, and t0 = -0.11. The sex ratio (M:F = 1:11.2) was biased in favour of females. It is inferred from this and other studies that eels in T & uuml;rkiye have comparable length and age distributions in similar habitats.