본 연구에서는 양식산 극동산 뱀장어, Anguilla japonica, 에서 고비율로 암컷 친어를 확보할 목적으로 실뱀장어(평균 전장: 6.5 cm)를 estradiol-17${eta}$ (E2) 투여구와 일반사료(E2-free) 투여구로 나누어 사육수온 별(20, 24 및 $28^{circ}C$) 조건에서 4개월간 사육하여 성비조사와 성장변화를 실시하였다. 조사한 결과 본 연구에서 설정한 수온 영역에서는 E2-free 실험구에서는 암컷 비율의 변화가 없었으나, E2 경구투여에 의한 자성화율은 높은 수온($28^{circ}C$)에서 소폭 증가하였다. 특히, 수온 $24^{circ}C$ 실험구에서 E2 경구투여 개체가 E2-free 개체보다 성장곡선이 낮게 나타났으며, 혈중 E2 농도는 E2 투여를 종결한 후(178일)에도 여전히 유의적으로 높게 존재하였다. 따라서 E2 투여에 의한 자성화 유도 효과는 높았지만, 장기간 투여시 성장저하에 영향을 미치는 것으로 보인다. 극동산 뱀장어에서 사육조건 중 수온에 의한 암컷으로의 성분화 효과는 확인 할 수 없었으며, 다른 환경인자(사육 밀도, 염분 등)의 관련성도 이후 검토하여야 할 것이다.
This study investigated the effects that water temperature and the administration of estradiol-17${eta}$ (E2) had on the sex ratio and growth of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Glass eels (total length${fallingdotseq}$6.5 cm) were differentiated into an E2 group and an E2-free group and then they were reared for about four months at three water temperature levels of $20^{circ}C$, $24^{circ}C$, and $28^{circ}C$. The results showed that the young eels survived normally at the rearing water temperature of ${geq}24^{circ}C$, and grew to a mean size of 20 cm (total length). In the E2-free group, temperature was not found to increase the sex ratio (feminizing rates); however, the sex ratio of the E2-administrated group was found to be a little higher at a high temperature ($28^{circ}C$). The growth of the E2 group was lower than the growth of the E2-free group at $24^{circ}C$ and the E2 concentration levels in the plasma at $24^{circ}C$ were found to be significant after the end of the E2 administration period (178 days). Therefore, we thought that long-term administration of E2 must be considered to be the reason for growth decline in spite of the prominent sex ratio effect. Our results indicate that temperature was not related to an increase in the feminizing rate (sex ratio) in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, and other environmental factors (rearing density, salinity, etc.) that have the possibility of inducing ovarian differentiation must be investigated.
