No.142
| Special Edition: Eel | July 5, 2006 |
| ● | Unlocking the Mystery of the Eel Katsumi Tsukamoto Professor, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo Selected Papers No.9 |
| ● | Development of the Techniques for Artificial Seed Production of Eels Hideki Tanaka Head of Reproduction Research Group, Aquaculture Biology Division, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Agency |
| ● | Izumo Eel to Osaka Ryosuke Sakai Library, Central Wholesale Markets, Osaka Municipal Central Wholesale Markets |
Unlocking the Mystery of the Eel
Katsumi TsukamotoProfessor, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo
On June last year, a great number of larval fish of eels hatched on the second day (called as a pre-leptocephalus) were found in the west of the Suruga seamount of the West Mariana Ridge. It would be safe to say that this virtually settled the agelong issue of the spawning ground of eels, however, this is the real start of researches on eels and the abyssal floor. In order to achieve rewarding developments in ocean research, we believe that the fostering of oceanographers who will be responsible for the next generation is going to be critical.
Development of the Techniques for Artificial Seed Production of Eels
Hideki TanakaHead of Reproduction Research Group, Aquaculture Biology Division, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Agency
Eels are widely cultured in Japan. However, eel culture is not a closed cycle breeding but raising caught wild juvenile eels called glass eel.
Eels never mature in captivity and information about natural feed and ambient conditions of their larval stage are absolutely lacking. Therefore more than 40 years have passed from the onset of research until the first successful artificial production of glass eel in an aquarium.
For the future, it is expected that techniques will be developed for increasing the survival rate to glass eel stage and mass production of glass eel at a low cost.
Izumo Eel to Osaka
Ryosuke SakaiLibrary, Central Wholesale Markets, Osaka Municipal Central Wholesale Markets
During the Edo Period, there were routes that haul live eels from areas along the Sea of Japan to Osaka.
Bamboo bags of eels carried on shoulders from the Nakanoumi of Izumo (Shimane Prefecture) down the Okayama (Okayama Prefecture) which is over the Chugoku hill district, from there the bags are taken Seto Inland Sea by boat and hauled to Osaka.
To our modern eyes, the eel route involves an immense amount of time and effort to make, but this is how the gastronomic culture of Osaka emerged.