High incidence of otolith abnormality in juvenile European flounder Platichthys flesus from a tidal freshwater area |
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| Authors: | Vanessa Neves Alexandra Guedes Bruno Valentim Joana Campos |
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| Institution: | 1. Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto (FCUP), Porto, Portugal;2. Instituto de Ciências da Terra (ICT), Pólo da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;3. Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;4. CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investiga??o Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal |
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| Abstract: | Otolith abnormality has been reported for a wide range of freshwater and marine fish species. In this study, the sagittal otolith morphology and mineralogy of juvenile European flounder, Platichthys flesus, were examined to describe the incidence and types of structural deformities in this species. Juvenile flounder were collected over the years 2013–2015 in the tidal freshwater section of an estuarine nursery (Minho estuary, NW Portugal). Otolith abnormality was found in 43% of the individuals and, in most cases, occurred in both otoliths. Despite an abnormal mineralogy confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, the morphometry and the mineral polymorph composition of abnormal otoliths did not differ from normal ones (i.e. aragonite). This contrasts with other studies where vaterite and/or calcite were found to replace aragonite in abnormal otoliths. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether abrupt salinity changes associated with habitat transitions may have played a role in the abnormal otolith biomineralization in this species. |
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| Keywords: | Audrey J Geffen |
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