Factors influencing Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths of Girella elevata: an experimental investigation

The utility of Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths as indicators of thermal history in fish was investigated for juvenile Girella elevata . There was no direct relationship between ratios of Sr/Ca and temperature of the water, as has been assumed in many previous studies. Sr/Ca ratios did not decrease when water temperature was elevated from 19 to 28° C. Elevation of ambient Sr levels in the sea water caused a significant increase in Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths, and there was a detectable increase in Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths of some individuals fed an Sr-enriched diet. Multiple factors may influence natural Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths of juvenile G. elevata and their interactions make it difficult to interpret the chronology of conditions experienced by an individual fish during early life in the pelagic or benthic environment.     

Dependences of 137Cs and 90Sr concentration ratios in fish on the potassium and calcium concentrations in the freshwater reservoirs

Activities of 137Cs and 90Sr, concentrations of the potassium and calcium ions in water and accumulation of the radionuclides in the organisms of various freshwater fish have been measured in the stagnant and semistagnant water reservoirs of Ukraine contaminated as a result of the Chernobyl accident. On the basis of the numerous experimental data for different regions the statistical parameters were derived describing the dependencies of the 137Cs and 90Sr concentration ratios in the muscle tissue of various fish species on the potassium and calcium concentrations in water, respectively.     

Incorporation of strontium into otoliths of an estuarine fish

Patterns of Sr/Ca variability in fish otoliths have been widely applied as tracers of movement between freshwater and marine habitats, with the assumption that low salinity habitats correspond to lower otolith levels of Sr/Ca. On the other hand, fluvial estuaries can contain steep gradients in Sr/Ca, and in some estuaries, freshwater values of Sr/Ca can exceed marine values, which are relatively constant across marine habitats. Therefore, to interpret Sr/Ca variability in otoliths of fish that move through estuaries, information is needed about both the incorporation of strontium into otoliths and the nature of the gradient of Sr/Ca in the water. We conducted four experiments to evaluate the incorporation of strontium into fish otoliths under estuarine conditions, using white perch (Morone americana) as a model estuarine fish. One laboratory and the two field experiments tested the relationship between Sr/Ca in the otolith and that in the water. A fourth experiment investigated the effect of salinity, independently of the water chemistry (Sr was manipulated while maintaining a constant salinity and Ca level). All four experiments supported a direct relationship between Sr/Ca in the otolith and the water, across a range of estuarine salinities. Results also indicated that the incorporation of strontium into otoliths of estuarine fishes should be constant across broad gradients of Sr/Ca in estuarine waters. While the experiments supported past applications of tracing estuarine and diadromous movements with otolith Sr/Ca chronologies, we emphasize the need to understand the underlying nature of Sr/Ca gradients in estuaries, which may limit or confound reconstructions of estuarine habitat use.     

Diversity of life strategies of pikepech <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sander lucioperca</Emphasis> (L.) in the Lower Volga (by the data of microelement composition of otolithes)

Strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) contents and Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths of pikeperch Sander lucioperca have been studied by X-ray fluorescent microanalysis. A sample of 95 specimens from the Lower Volga region are studied. The fish were obtained in a section of the Akhtuba River at a distance of 250–279 km upstream from the Caspian Sea. Some specimens in the sample have low strontium content throughout the otolith. The other fish have increased both Sr content and Sr/Ca ratios in core zones of otolith or near its outer edge: the Sr/Ca ratio is over 6.00 × 10^–3, with a maximum at 10.02 × 10^–3. The fish with a low Sr/Ca ratio live in freshwater and demonstrate a resident life history strategy. Pikeperch that have increased ratios of Sr/Ca in outer zones of otolith demonstrate a migratory life history strategy. These fish leave the freshwater of the Volga and feed in brackish water of the Northern Caspian Sea. Some migratory fish migrate to the sea as underyearlings, stay in a brackish water for 1 year or less, and then return back to fresh water for the rest of its life. The other group migrates back and forth from freshwater to the sea several times during their life. Finally, some fish leave freshwater for 1–2 years, spending this time in the Northern Caspian Sea. The conclusion is that the pikeperch stock in the Lower Volga has a complicated composition and consists of freshwater (residents and rheodromic ones) and migratory (anadromous and semianadromous) fish.     

Salinities, not diets, affect strontium/calcium ratios in otoliths of Anguilla japonica

Although otolith Strontium (Sr)/calcium (Ca) ratios have been widely used to reconstruct the past salinity environmental history of anguillid eels, factors affecting the Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths are incompletely understood. Japanese Eel (Anguilla japonica) elvers (mean length 54.7 ± 2.1 mm) were collected in the estuary during their upstream migration and reared at 5 different salinities (0, 5, 15, 25, and 35 psu) and 3 types of feeding conditions (formulated feed, tubifex, and starvation) for 30 days to evaluate the effects of salinity and diets on otolith Sr/Ca ratios. Ca and Sr concentrations in the ambient water significantly increased with salinity (SAL) as [Ca] _water = 15.50SAL − 5.56, and [Sr] _water = 0.21SAL + 0.03, respectively. Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths increased with salinity (SAL) of the rearing water as [(Sr/Ca) × 1000] _otolith = 0.091SAL + 3.790. In diets, Sr/Ca ratios were 4 times higher in tubifex than in formulated feed. However, in otoliths, ANOVA indicated that Sr/Ca ratios did not differ significantly between groups fed on tubifex or formulated feed (p = 0.118). Otolith Sr/Ca ratios were negatively correlated with fish growth rates while the growth rates differed significantly among rearing conditions with different salinities and diets. Partition coefficients of the Sr/Ca ratios from ambient water to fish tissues and otoliths significantly increased with salinity. The Sr/Ca ratios of Japanese Eel otoliths thus were positively correlated with the ambient salinity and decreased with increasing fish growth rate, but was not affected by fish diet.     

鲤稚鱼耳石锶标记效果

对鲤稚鱼开展了不同浸泡浓度和不同标记时间梯度的SrCl₂·6H₂O暴露标记试验,以确认其耳石Sr标记的可行性及基本条件.首先,基于4个浓度(0、4、8、12 mg·L^-1)水平的SrCl₂·6H₂O溶液,浸泡标记2 d来筛选基本浸泡标记浓度.然后,在SrCl₂·6H₂O为8 mg·L^-1浓度下,基于5个浸泡时间(1、2、3、4、5 d)来筛选基本浸泡标记时间.电子探针分布分析结果显示:对照组(0 mg·L^-1)耳石Sr/Ca比值低且稳定,标记组均出现了高Sr/Ca比值区.对照组耳石剖面为均一的低Sr蓝色图谱,而标记组耳石上均有高Sr红色标记环带,且标记成功率为100%.试验期间,标记组和对照组的死亡率、平均全长和平均体质量无显著差异,表明Sr标记对供试鱼无不良影响.由于耳石上清晰、完整的高Sr红色标记环带出现在标记浓度为8 mg·L^-1及以上,标记时间为2 d及以上,故建议分别选择8 mg·L^-1和2 d为基本浸泡标记浓度和基本浸泡标记时间.本研究证实耳石Sr标记技术对鲤稚鱼具有很好的可行性.     

Phytoplankton in reservoir R-11 of Techa reservoir cascade of Industrial Association "Maiak"

Phytoplankton of reservoir R-11 was investigated at vegetative seasons of 2007 and 2008. R-11 is a locking reservoir in the cascade of Mayak PA reservoirs. The specific activity in water of R-11 ranged from 0.9 to 1.8 kBq/dm for 90Sr and from 0.98 to 3.97 kBq/dm3 for 137Cs; in bottom sediments it ranged from 20 to 400 kBq/kg for 90Sr and from 0.35 to 220 kBq/kg for 137Cs. Concentration of SO4- exceeded the maximum permissible concentration for fishing reservoirs in 5-7 times. The content of 90Sr in the phytoplankton has made 400 kBq/kg (for dry weight), and 137Cs--2.20 kBq/kg (for dry weight). The absorbed dose of irradiation for the phytoplankton calculated under the content of 137Cs and 90Sr in water and in phytoplankton (the external irradiation from activity of bottom sediments was not considered) has made 901 mGy per year. Altogether the phytoplankton of reservoir R-11 included 107 species. Such species of Cyanobacteriae as Oscillatoria agardhii Gom. was the dominant in phytoplanktonic community. Another Cyanobacteriae, Lyngbya limnetica Lemm. and Aphanizomenonflos-aquae (L.) Ralfs. acted the most important part in a complex of species-subdominants. According to quantitative development of the phytoplankton the reservoir R-11 can be classified as P-mezosaprobe waters.     

Calcium-induced quiescence of sperm motility in the bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

Before dilution in hypoosmotic media sperm of freshwater fish are maintained quiescent by a range of factors including osmolality, K+ and pH, and the onset of motility is generally associated with an increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+. In contrast, Ca2+ in conjunction with osmolality was found to inhibit motility of intact bluegill sperm. Consistent with seminal plasma composition, 0.16 mmol/L Ca2+ and greater, in conjunction with an osmotic concentration of 290 mOsm/kg, inhibited the onset of bluegill sperm motility; sperm diluted in saline at 290 mOsm/kg without Ca2+ became motile. Cations Mn2+ and Sr2+, in conjunction with osmolality, had an inhibitory effect on initiation of sperm motility similar to that of Ca2+. Sperm motility was inhibited by Ca2+ channel blockers nimodipine and nifedipine, the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter inhibitor ruthenium red and the calmodulin inhibitors W-7 and trifluoperazine dihydrochloride. These results provide evidence that elevated cytoplasmic Ca2+ inhibits sperm motility and yet low levels permit or promote motility. This study demonstrates a unique inhibitory action of Ca2+ on the motility of intact fish sperm at physiologically relevant levels.     

Dissolution of wollastonite during the experimental manipulation of Hubbard Brook Watershed 1

Powdered and pelletized wollastonite (CaSiO₃) was applied to an 11.8 ha forested watershed at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in northern New Hampshire, U.S.A. during October of 1999. The dissolution of wollastonite was studied using watershed solute mass balances, and a ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic tracer. The wollastonite (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.70554) that was deposited directly into the stream channel began to dissolve immediately, resulting in marked increases in stream water Ca concentrations and decreases in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios from pre-application values of 0.872 mg/L and 0.72032 to values of 2.6 mg/L and 0.71818 respectively. After one calendar year, 401 kg of the initial 631 kg of wollastonite applied to the stream channel was exported as stream dissolved load, and 230 kg remained within the stream channel as residual CaSiO₃ and/or adsorbed on streambed exchange sites. Using previously established values for streambed Ca exchange capacity at the HBEF, the dissolution rate for wollastonite was found to be consistent with dissolution rates measured in laboratory experiments. Initially, Ca was released from the mineral lattice faster than Si, resulting in the development of a Ca-depleted leached layer on mineral grains. The degree of preferential Ca release decreased with time and reached stoichiometric proportions after 6 months. Using Sr as a proxy for Ca, the Ca from wollastonite dissolution can be accurately tracked as it is transported through the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of this watershed.     

Strontium:cakium concentration ratios in otoliths of herring larvae as indicators of environmental histories

Synopsis Elemental analyses, using wave-length dispersive electron microprobe techniques on otoliths from reared Atlantic herring larvae, Clupea harengus, showed trace quantities of strontium relative to that of calcium, and an inverse relationship between Sr/Ca concentration ratios and rearing temperature. These data are consistent with those for coral aragonite, in that there appears to be an inverse temperature effect on physiological incorporation of strontium in the otolith aragonite. Our determinations of Sr/Ca concentration ratios of lab-reared herring larvae showed that the deposition of strontium relative to calcium and the rearing temperature were related, where: T (° C) = −2.955 [Sr/Ca] × 1000 ± 19.172. This principle thus makes it possible to use Sr/Ca concentration ratios in fish otoliths to delineate past temperatures experienced by an individual. Further, combining electron microprobe analyses with scanning electron microscope (SEM) examinations of daily increments in the same otolith makes it possible to reconstruct the temperature history for an individual fish on a time scale of days. An example of the application of the technique to an approximately six-month-old field-caught herring larva is given, and the limitations of the technique are discussed.     

Effects of salinity on strontium:calcium ratios in the otoliths of the West African black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron in a hypersaline estuary

The biology and the behaviour of fish populations in hypersaline environments are poorly known. The habitat occupation strategy of the tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron has been studied along a salinity gradient in the Saloum hypersaline estuary in Senegal (salinity between 32 and 100). The individual migratory behaviour has been analysed from otolith strontium-to-calcium concentration ratios from fish sampled in five locations during the 2003 wet season and the 2004 dry season. In the upper part of the estuary (salinities > 50), the Sr:Ca ratio in the otolith showed high variations, from 2.51 to 33.30 × 10⁻³. These maximum observed values have never been reported in the literature. The individual mean of Sr:Ca ratios increased according to the salinity gradient in the estuary, with significantly higher values in the upper part (Sr:Ca mean = 16 × 10⁻³) than in the lower part (salinity < 50, Sr:Ca mean = 12 × 10⁻³). No significant difference in the Sr:Ca mean was observed between locations with comparable salinities. Sr concentration in the water at the different locations was positively correlated with ambient salinity. The mean of Sr:Ca in the otoliths was then in relationship with the level of Sr in the water. Thus, the Sr:Ca ratios in the otolith of S. melanotheron allowed to discriminate the populations of this species and to hypothesize that they did not undertake large scale movements within the estuary.     

Mediterranean juvenile bluefin tuna: life history patterns

As there is a lack of information on the growth and migrations of bluefin tuna, information about them was gathered using the structural and chemical characteristics of their otoliths and mercury levels in body tissues as indicators of physiological and habitat characteristics. The otoliths of juvenile tuna caught in the Spanish Mediterranean littoral were studied. Otolith increments, assumed to be formed daily, were enumerated. Measurements by wavelength dispersive electron microprobe confirmed the presence of strontium in otolith tissue, and an inverse relationship between strontium/calcium (Sr/Ca) concentration ratio and temperature is suggested. Electron microprobe analyses combined with daily increment analyses of otoliths provided life history profiles for individual fish. Additional Sr/Ca concentration ratio data on fish supported the idea that Sr/Ca ratios can provide information on the environmental history of individual fish. Body concentrations of mercury were related to otolith analyses to suggest age structure, critical life history periods, growth environment, stock structure, food web position, and migration history. The techniques applied present an innovative approach to management-related problems, and the combination of chemical analyses with structural analyses promises to expand our knowledge of the life history of migratory fishes.     

Factors influencing otolith strontium/calcium ratios in Anguilla japonica elvers

The effects of temperature and salinity on the concentration ratios of strontium (Sr) to calcium (Ca) within the sagittal otoliths of elvers of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, were studied by spot analysis using a wavelength dispersive X-ray electron microprobe. A total of 340 elvers were used: 100 elvers were reared for 15 days under various salinity conditions (freshwater, one-third seawater, two-thirds seawater and pure seawater at 22 °C; 240 elvers were reared for 58 days under various water temperature conditions (12, 17, 22, 27 °C) in either freshwater or pure seawater. Otolith Sr/Ca ratios were found to be positively correlated with water salinity. On the other hand, the Sr/Ca ratios were not found to be significantly different among the various temperature groups. The above results strongly suggest that the physiological mechanism of incorporation of Sr and Ca within the otolith of an eurythermal fish, Japanese eel, does not change within this range of temperatures (12–27 °C).     

Calcium distribution and exchange in the rat uterus

The calcium content and distribution of the rat uterus were determined employing flame photometry and Ca⁴⁵ determinations. The total uterine calcium concentration was found to be 2.25 millimoles (mmoles) per kilogram wet weight, 0.45 of which was inexchangeable. The exchangeable Ca could be divided into 0.8 mmole/kg wet weight extracellular and 1.0 mmole/kg wet weight intracellular. The concentration of ionic Ca in rat serum was obtained by equilibrium dialysis as 1.5 mM or 53 % of the total serum Ca. The observed Ca distribution required that its active transport be postulated, since the membrane was shown to be permeable to Ca and the internal Ca concentration was far below its electrochemical equilibrium value. Metabolic inhibition by iodoacetate or dinitrophenol caused a net Ca uptake, but cooling to 4°C and ouabain did not. Iodoacetate did not affect the Ca⁴⁵ efflux, but did increase the influx, suggesting that active Ca transport is accomplished by an exclusion mechanism. In experiments with varied external sodium concentrations, no evidence was obtained that sodium competes with calcium for inward transport. Cellular Ca binding was measured under conditions of prolonged metabolic inhibition, which abolished both active transport and the membrane potential. The association constants obtained were compatible with intracellular Ca binding to proteins, but insufficient to account for the low level of intracellular ionic Ca believed essential for relaxation. Hence metabolically dependent intracellular Ca binding was postulated. The Ca⁴⁵ efflux was slowed down by Ca-free efflux media. The presence of Sr or EDTA could completely prevent this decrease in efflux rate, and Ba could partly prevent it. Changes in Mg and Na concentration did not affect the rate of Ca⁴⁵ efflux. A model to explain Ca exchange across smooth muscle membranes has been proposed.     

Renal discrimination between strontium and calcium in rats

Renal functions were damaged at the reabsorptive site by the injection of cadmium-metallothionein (Cd-MT) and its effect on discrimination of chemically similar elements was examined for the two alkaline-earth elements, calcium (Ca) and strontium (Sr). Tubular damage was induced in female Wistar rats, 7 wk old, body wt 145.1 +/- 3.5 g (mean +/- S.D.), by an intraperitoneal injection of Cd-MT (400 micrograms Cd/kg body wt). The Cd-MT injection caused increases in urinary enzymes (lactate dehydrogenase; alkaline phosphatase), glucose, and total protein. Urinary Ca and Sr increased and urinary Sr/Ca ratio decreased rapidly after the Cd-MT injection. Both changes remained at significant levels throughout the experiment. On the other hand, renal Ca and Sr levels increased with time after 18 or 24 h and changed similarly. Although plasma levels of Ca and Sr slightly increased after 30 or 36 h post-injections, the plasma Sr/Ca level remained constant. A close exponential relationship formed between the relative clearances of Ca and Sr. There was no significant difference between the exponent of the following equation (K) for the Cd-MT-injected group and that for the control group. Sr clearance/creatinine clearance = (Ca clearance/creatinine clearance)K where K = 0.408 from experimental data for the two groups. This suggests that the discrimination mechanism between Sr and Ca during the reabsorptive step in the kidney is strictly regulated.     

基于耳石元素微化学的江苏吕泗近岸小黄鱼生境履历重建

利用电子显微探针元素分析技术,对江苏吕泗近岸海域小黄鱼矢耳石的Sr和Ca微化学特征进行了研究.结果表明: Sr含量在小黄鱼耳石的矢状面上呈非均匀分布,总体为核心部位高,其余部分明显降低.核心高Sr区域的Sr/Ca比值为(7.10±1.00),其余部分为(4.79±1.01),两者差异极显著.后者部分个体存在Sr含量更低的区域,Sr/Ca比值为(3.51±0.76).基于这些结果重建了吕泗近岸小黄鱼的生境履历： 它们在孵化及初期发育阶段生活在高盐度生境,随后的生长和发育过程则会洄游至盐度稍低的生境;部分个体的早期发育阶段还会选择利用更低盐度的生境.     

The accumulation of 137-caesium from fresh water by alevins and fry of Atlantic salmon and brown trout

The accumulation of 137-caesium from water by alevins and fry of Atlantic salmon and brown trout was studied, At 'normal' pH (∼7.4), input rates (k_WF) and equilibrium concentration factors (CF_eq) of 137-caesium were four to five times greater in both species of alevins than those in the fry. Input rates and equilibrium concentration factors were consistently greater in brown trout than in Atlantic salmon. The input rate of 137-caesium was most rapid in kidney, gill and gut of fry. The majority of the radiocaesium was, however, deposited in muscle tissue which had consistently the longest biological half-life of 50–90 days. 137-Caesium input was significantly reduced at low pH (∼5.0) but output rates (k_FW) were little affected. It is concluded that juvenile fish are more susceptible than adults to radiocaesium accumulation from freshwater but that food is the major source of 137-caesium in freshwater fish. The behaviour of 137-caesium is discussed with respect to potassium.     

Rhythmic structural and chemical patterns in otoliths of the Antarctic fish Notothenia larseni: Their application to age determination

Summary Sagittal otoliths from Notothenia larseni contain microincremental growth rings which are distinctly visible in otolith sections using Scanning Electron Microscopy. These microincrements are similar to those deposited daily in the otoliths of fishes from temperate and tropical waters. Microincrements were easily enumerated and fish length was related to increment number by a logarithmic curve. Otolith microstructure analysis appears to provide a technique to accurately determine age and growth rates in these fish. Sr/Ca ratios in otolith aragonite were analyzed along a radius from the outside edge to the core of an otolith section using an electron microprobe. The strontium/calcium (Sr/Ca) ratios varied with a cyclic periodicity apparently related to seasonal water temperature cycles and the number of cycles agreed closely with age estimated from daily microincrement counts. Sr/ca cycles can potentially be used to determine age, validate growth rates determined by other methods, and establish thermal conditions experienced during the life of a fish. Microstructural and chemical analyses of otoliths demonstrate great potential in helping to answer many questions about the growth processes and ecology of Antarctic fishes.     

Migratory patterns of anadromous white-spotted charr Salvelinus leucomaenis in Eastern Hokkaido, Japan: The solution to a mystery?

We evaluated the migratory patterns of white-spotted charr in eastern Hokkaido, Japan using: (1) field observation of fish, (2) salinity-recording archival tags, and (3) analysis of otolith Sr and Ca concentrations. Field observations suggest that the majority of anadromous white-spotted charr outmigrate to the sea in spring (April to June) and ascend the river between late summer and autumn (August to November). Salinity records from archival tags revealed a fluctuating pattern consisting of both low and high values within a month, indicating frequent short-term movements between freshwater (including non-natal rivers) and brackish/salt water habitats. Otolith Sr:Ca ratios exhibited a sharp rise at about 40–50% of the otolith radius, which was followed by several spikes consisting of both low and high values, indicating that fish migrated between freshwater and marine environments multiple times during their life history. However, the peaks in Sr:Ca ratios were generally associated with annulus zones on the otolith, indicating that the anadromous migration was generally an annual event.     

The influence of salinity on oxygen consumption and plasma electrolytes in grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella Val.

Fingerling grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella , 90–160 mm t.l. , were acclimated to experimental salinities of < 1 (fresh water), 91, 195 and 317 mOsm/kg. Oxygen consumption rates of fish declined, as salinity increased, from 0.16 mg O₂/g-h in fresh water to 0.11 mg O₂/g-h at an ambient concentration of 317 mOsm/kg. Plasma electrolytes (Na⁺ and Cl⁻¹) and total plasma ionic concentrations increased slightly following 10 days of exposure to ambient salinities greater than 195 mOsm/kg. At 317 mOsm/kg fish appeared to lose control of plasma electrolyte concentrations. As the osmotic gradient was reduced between the fish and the external medium it might have become advantageous to the maintenance of the osmotic equilibrium to reduce blood circulation to the gills, thus imposing a reduction in metabolic rate.