Table 1.
Ocean gyres, eel species, the estimated spawning areas and seasons used in this study, the research status of each estimated spawning area, and hydrographic conditions of salinity, temperature, and geostrophic currents estimated from Argo float data at the presumed spawning depths of 150-250 m.
| Ocean Gyre | Species | Estimated spawning area | Analysis Time Period | Status of estimate | Salinity | Temp. (°C) | Westward currents at 150 m (m s-1) | Westward surface Currents | Eastward surface currents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western North Atlantic WNA) | A. anguilla | 24–30°N, 50–73°W | March-April 2014 | Confirmed, with leptocephali <5 mm | 36.4-36.8 | 18-22 | 0.04-0.06 | Antilles Current (AC) | Gulf Stream (GS) |
| A. rostrata | 23–29°N, 60–76°W | Gulf Stream Recirculation (GSR) | |||||||
| Western Indian Ocean (WIO) | A. bicolor | West of 60.5°E, 13–19°S | October 2013 | Hypothetical, with leptocephali >40 mm, transport modelling | 35.2-35.4 | 16-22 | 0.04-0.06 | South Equatorial Current (SEC) | Subtropical Counter Current (SCC) |
| A. bengalensis | |||||||||
| A. marmorata | |||||||||
| A. mossambica | |||||||||
| Western North Pacific (WNP) | A. japonica | 12–16°N, 141–143°E | June 2011 | Confirmed, with eggs, preleptocephali, and spawning adults | 34.6-35.0 | 16-24 | 0.06-0.14 | North Equatorial Current (NEC) | Subtropical Counter Current (SCC) |
| A. luzonensis | |||||||||
| A. marmorata | |||||||||
| Western South Pacific (WSP) | A. australis | Larvae: 5–20°S, 160°E–175°W; Tagged eels from Vanuatu: 8–12°S, 170–175°E | July 2013 | Hypothetical, with leptocephali >15 mm, PSAT data | 35.0-36.0 | 16-24 | 0.00-0.08 | South Equatorial Current (SEC) | South Equatorial Counter Current (SECC) |
| A. dieffenbachii | Equatorial Counter Current (ECC) | Fiji Basin Counter Current (FBCC) | |||||||
| A. marmorata | |||||||||
| A. megastoma | |||||||||
| A. obscura | |||||||||
| A. reinhardtii | |||||||||
| Central South Pacific (CSP) | A. marmorata | 15–20°S, 130–135°W | July 2013 | Hypothetical, no larvae, based on species ranges and population structure | 35.4-36.2 | 18-24 | 0.00-0.06 | South Equatorial Current (SEC) | Subtropical Counter Current (SCC) |
| A. megastoma | |||||||||
| A. obscura |