Interspecific variations of otolith chemistry in estuarine fish nurseries |
| |
Authors: | P Reis-Santos † R P Vasconcelos M Ruano C Latkoczy ‡ D Günther ‡ M J Costa § H Cabral § |
| |
Institution: | Instituto de Oceanografia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; , ETH Zurich, D-CHAB, Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Wolfgang-Pauli Strasse 10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland; and Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal |
| |
Abstract: | Otolith chemical composition differed between juveniles of five fish species ( Solea solea , Solea senegalensis , Platichthys flesus , Diplodus vulgaris and Dicentrarchus labrax ) in nursery areas of six estuaries along the Portuguese coast (Douro, Ria de Aveiro, Mondego, Tejo, Sado and Mira). Spatially consistent patterns in the concentration of some elements were responsible for differences between species. Discrimination of estuaries using data from all species simultaneously averaged 44·7% of correctly classified cases, whilst discrimination of species averaged 76·2%. Moreover, species-related patterns in otolith fingerprints were highlighted when comparing species for each estuarine nursery area, with intra estuarine species discrimination averages ranging from 86·2 to 100·0%. Similarities in the otolith elemental fingerprints were larger between species with close phylogeny and ecology, particularly between flatfish and perciform species. In addition to the differences in physiological regulation of species, specific microhabitat use in a common environment was suggested as a relevant factor for the differentiation of otolith chemistry among species occurring in the same locations. Despite positive results in specific estuaries, variation in otolith composition limited the use of species as proxies to classify others to their system of origin. |
| |
Keywords: | estuary inter-species juvenile fishes nursery otolith microchemistry proxy |
|
|