In the present study, female Japanese eels () with an average body weight of (592.5±52.5) g were fed with a commercial diet supplemented with two Chinese herbs Lam at a water temperature of (21±1)℃ for 90 d. Then, the structure of ovarian development; changes in serum 11-KT and E2 levels; mRNA expression levels of liver vitellogenin (), and ovarian aromatase (tissue section staining, immunoenzymatic assays, semi-quantitative PCR, and gas chromatography, respectively. The results showed that the gonadosomatic indices (GSIs) and the hepatosomatic indices (HISs) in the Japanese eels fed with diets containing Lam. were significantly higher than those in the control group (<0.05); the treated group also showed ovaries filled with advanced perinucleolar follicles and increased numbers of oil droplets, and significantly higher serum 11-KT and E2 levels ( mRNA was elevated in the liver of the treated group; however, mRNA levels were extremely low in the ovaries of both the control group and the treated group, and the expression of mRNA was not detected in the livers of the two groups. Total fatty acid levels, including saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), in muscle were significantly higher in the Japanese eels fed with diets containing Lam than in the control group fish (<0.05); particularly, the levels of arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were higher in the treated group. These findings indicated that the two Chinese herbs, Lam., induced early ovary development by increasing oil droplets of previtellogenic oocytes and promoted vitellogenin accumulation in the liver of parental female Japanese eels. Moreover, Lam. accelerated absorption of fatty acids, particularly HUFA, from diets, and subsequently their accumulation in the muscle, to prepare for vitellogenesis and further development of oocytes.