Gonad Homogeneity, Maturity, and Gonado-Somatic Index of Wild Indonesian Eel (Anguilla bicolor bicolor McClelland, 1844)

Abstract The current study was conducted to investigate the homogeneity of gonad maturity in Anguilla bicolor bicolor, and whether Gonado-Somatic Index (GSI) is a reliable indicator of this maturity. Eel samples were obtained from fishermen at Segara Anakan, Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia in December 2015, and May 2017. Fourteen specimens were analyzed based on their gonad histological structure from cranial, medial, and caudal portions and were measured for GSI values. The present study shows that there is a synchronization of oocyte maturity time on the medial, cranial and caudal parts. It might suggest that during the maturation process, Anguilla develop into silver eels and return to the sea to spawn. The highest GSI value is 2.67 in the female eel containing the highest number of mid-vitellogenic oocytes. Based on these results, it can be suggested that GSI are a suitable parameter for measuring the gonadal maturity of female A. bicolor bicolor. Keywords: Gonadal maturity, Homogeneity, Indonesian eel, A. bicolor bicolor, Segara Anakan