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Life on the bottom: the chemical and morphological asymmetry of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) sagittae

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Abstract

We observed that paired winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) sagittae are not morphologically or chemically identical. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) chemical asymmetry was detected between the sagittae in five of eight elements (with three other elements, Sr, I, and Sn not statistically different). The blind-side otolith exhibited higher mean concentrations of Ba, Mn, Mg, Cu, and Zn trace elements than the eyed-side otolith. These asymmetries may be due to blind-side otoliths absorbing higher concentrations of transitional elements, partly as a result of environmental heterogeneity caused by redox reactions emanating from the sediments. Metamorphic transformation and the subsequent shift to the benthos by fully formed fish may also account for element concentration levels that were significantly different between juveniles and both sub-adults and adults. Our results also suggest that chemical uptake in a pair of winter flounder sagittae is an asynchronous event, and that each otolith potentially records the chemical history of its environment independent of the other. The physiological pathway for entry into winter flounder otoliths is uncertain and warrants further testing. Overall, our results have implications for other flatfish genera as well, and demonstrate the need for standardization of methodology when conducting otolith chemistry on flatfishes.

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Acknowledgments

We thank following people and organizations for their assistance during this study: Henningson, Durham, and Richardson (HDR), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) for providing winter flounder samples, Deb Driscoll (SUNY ESF) for assistance with sample analysis. This work is based in part upon research conducted at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), which is supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of General Medical Sciences under NSF award DMR-00936384. We would also like to thank the CUNY Graduate Center for making this research possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. City University of New York Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    George Jackman

  2. SUNY ESF, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    Karin E. Limburg

  3. Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA

    John Waldman

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  1. George Jackman
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  2. Karin E. Limburg
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  3. John Waldman
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Correspondence to George Jackman.

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Jackman, G., Limburg, K.E. & Waldman, J. Life on the bottom: the chemical and morphological asymmetry of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) sagittae. Environ Biol Fish 99, 27–38 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-015-0451-z

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