Reappraisal of the importance of rainfall in affecting catches of Anguilla japonica elvers in Taiwan

Abstract

This paper relates daily mean seawater temperature and daily rainfall in northern Taiwan to the catches of A. japonica elvers during a two-year period. The results indicate a positive (P<O.05) relationship between rainfall and elver catches and a negative (P<O.05) relationship between seawater temperature and elver catches. Peaks in elver catches generally coincided with peaks in rainfall and minimums of temperature. Rainfall is clearly as important in affecting elver catch as is seawater temperature, which was previously regarded as the key factor.