Anguilla japonica, is one of the most important commercial catadromous fish species in Asia. Yangtze River estuary serves as the major production regions of larval eels and the only fishery waters of adult eels in China. In this study, we analyzed the age and growth characters for 153 migrating silver eels collected at Jingjiang reach of Jiangsu Province (31°30′N，120°42′E) from Sept. to Nov. 2008. The results showed that the age of the females in Yangtze River estuary ranged from 3-7 years with a mean of 5.52 years while the age of males ranged from 3-5 years with a mean of 4.38 years. The age structure of female eels is higher and more than male eels. Max. annual gain in length of both female and male A. japonica appeared in the 4th year. The growth parameters of females such as the age of inflexion point, the growth inflexion point of body length, the growth inflexion point of body weight, the average asymptotic body length and the average asymptotic body weight were t_i=5.20, lr=683.05 mm, Wr=546.37 g, L_∞=1 011.03 mm and W_∞=1 830.16 g, respectively, which were significantly larger than those of males, t_i=4.91, lr=517.15 mm, Wr=216.15 g, L_∞=750.30 mm and W_∞=715.90 g. The results indicated that the average age of migrating A. japonica in the Yangtze River Estuary was smaller than those of other regions in China and Japan. However, the average asymptotic body length of migrating A. japonica in the Yangtze River Estuary was significantly larger than those of other regions.