ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE DISTRIBUTION ECOLOGICAL CLUSTERING OF THE GIANT MOTTLED EEL (Anguilla marmorata) IN HUE CITY, THUA THIEN HUE PROVINCE

Abstract

The giant mottled eel (Anguilla marmorata) is one of two eel species found in Hue city. It has a wide distribution across river, stream, and lagoon ecosystems in the region. Throughout different stages of its life cycle, environmental factors and habitats influence the population structure of Anguilla marmorata in Hue city. This study was conducted to analyze the effects of ecological factors on the habitat selection of the giant mottled eel in various aquatic environments in Hue city. The environmental characteristics of water bodies in the province were surveyed. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) revealed a diversity of adaptation processes among eels of different sizes in response to distinct ecological conditions across study areas. The research results have shown the diversity of environmental characteristics and distribution of giant mottled eel in Hue city. The study has analyzed the relationship between living environment factors and biological behavior of giant mottled eel at different growth stages through the ecological clusters characteristics. The results from this study have contributed to providing scientific databases related to the biological characteristics of Anguilla marmorata in Hue city, Vietnam.