Tran Nguyen Ngoc, a researcher at Hue University, Vietnam. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Aquaculture in 2010, followed by a Master’s degree in 2012, and received my PhD on March 26, 2025. Since 2013, I have been a member of Prof. Nguyen Quang Linh’s research group at Hue University, contributing to aquaculture projects. My publication record includes over 34 research articles, with more than 21 in domestic journals, 19 in Scopus/WoS-indexed journals, and 4 in other international journals. My research focuses on aquaculture, aquatic diseases in aquaculture.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE DISTRIBUTION ECOLOGICAL CLUSTERING OF THE GIANT MOTTLED EEL (Anguilla marmorata) IN HUE CITY, VIETNAM:                   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 A. 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.

Keywords: Distribution, PCA, HCA, giant mottled eel, Hue city