Giant ball of 2.8 million eels gathers off Tasmania's coast to spawn
CSIRO scientists have identified an underwater mountain off Tasmania where a threatened deep-sea eel species gathers annually.
An annual gathering of 2.8 million basketwork eels (Diastobranchus capensis) is taking place off Tasmania's coast, according to a CSIRO-led study published in Royal Society Open Science. This underwater aggregation near Patience Seamount in the Huon Marine Park is the only known spawning site for this deep-sea eel species globally.
The eels, which can grow up to 1.8 meters long and bear a crosshatch-like pattern on their skin, were first observed to congregate in the area during the 1980s. Scientists estimate the aggregation covers a 2 by 3-kilometer area at a depth of about 1,000 meters. The eels arrive in the seamount each year between December and October, with their numbers peaking between May and August.
Researchers have found that the eels have empty stomachs and are all close to spawning, although the specific reason they choose Patience Seamount for this purpose is unknown. The eels are considered vulnerable to extinction due to their status as bycatch in orange roughy fisheries, which has led to declines in their populations in New Zealand.
The new study provides a baseline for future monitoring of the eels' population and the marine park's effectiveness in protecting them.
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