catadromy
nounUK /kəˈtædrəmi/
US /kəˈtædrəmi/
Catadromy is when a fish lives in rivers and lakes but swims to the sea to have its babies.
Eels show catadromy by growing up in freshwater rivers before traveling to the ocean to spawn.
SYNONYMS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The migratory pattern of fish that spend most of their lives in fresh water and return to salt water to breed.
Scientists study catadromy to understand how dams affect eel populations.
3. A life-cycle strategy in which an animal moves from inland waters to the ocean for reproduction.
The catadromy of certain mullet species helps them find safer nursery habitats at sea.
4. The ecological opposite of anadromy, describing sea-bound breeding migrations from freshwater habitats.
Unlike salmon, which are anadromous, eels are famous for catadromy.