Osmoregulation during the development of glass eels and elvers

Drinking rates in glass eels and elvers of the European eel increased with environmental acclimation salinity from 0.07 +/- 0.02 (FW) to 0.70 +/- 0.09 mu l g(-1) h(-1) (SW) at month 1 and from 1.12 +/- 0.42 (FW) to 12.85 +/- 1.05 mu l g(-1) h(-1) (SW) at month 5. Drinking rates increased with time in both FW and SW groups. FW acclimated eels when challenged acutely with SW increased drinking rate rapidly immediately upon transfer (0-15 min) and the magnitude of this response increased with developmental time from month I to month 5, (C) 2000 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.