Which life history traits make the Wolf Eel highly vulnerable to fishing pressure?

Answer

Long life span and late sexual maturity.

The very traits that contributed to the Wolf Eel's evolutionary success in a stable, resource-rich environment—longevity and slow maturation—are precisely what cause its vulnerability in the face of modern human disturbances like fishing. Wolf Eels are known to live for a significant time, potentially up to 21 years, and do not reach sexual maturity until they are relatively old, around seven to nine years of age. Consequently, they have a slow reproductive turnover rate, meaning they cannot rapidly replace adults lost to mortality. Because they are site-faithful and inhabit accessible shallow rocky reefs, they are easily encountered as bycatch or targeted. The loss of even a moderate number of reproductive adults due to fishing can cause long-lasting damage to local populations because recovery time is extremely slow.

Which life history traits make the Wolf Eel highly vulnerable to fishing pressure?

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