Apreliminary experiment was conducted to assess the aquaculturepotential of eels under pond conditions. Seeds of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) were used for growth trials in an earthen pond at Lake Manzala. The pond had an area of 3 feddans with a depth of about 1-meter. Juvenile eels (11.66 cm in length and 2.42 g. in weight / fish) were stocked
during May 2003 at a rate of 5000 fish / feddan in a polyculture system including tilapia and mullets and fed mainly on natural prey (natural spawned tilapia) and small shrimps. Growth, survival, and net pond production were evaluated for 2 years (from May 2003—May 2005). Eels attained a weight range of 43.8—210 g. / fish with an average of 121.38 g.
/ fish at the end of the first year and a weight range of 152.5—430 g. / fish with an average of 280.36 g. / fish at the end of the second year. Survival ranged from 91% during the first year to 100% during the second year. Net
eel production was 540.18 kg /feddan at the end of the first year (May 2004) and 723.36 kg / feddan at the end of the second year (May 2005). This experiment demonstrated the possibility of cultivation of eels, that
grow better and profitable, in earthen ponds.