Male adultAnguilla australisand A.dieffenbachiicaught migrating to sea were held in sea water and induced to mature with injections of human chorionic gonadotrophin. Eye size increased during maturation by a factor of 1.5 inA. australisand 1.2 inA. dieffenbachiifrom the pre‐injection migrant stage. Spawning was observed in 4 of the 42 eels that matured.A.australismatured at between 12 and 28°C andA. dieffenbachiibetween 12 and 26°C. Minimum maturation times occurred at 26°C forA. australisand 24°C for A.dieffenbachii. Maturation rate and temperature were linearly related in both species.A. dieffenbachiimatured more quickly thanA.australisat all temperatures; this is probably related to the different state of sexual development of the experimental eels. At the time of seaward migrationA. dieffenbachiiare more sexually advanced thanA.australis.