Abstract
Site-specific variation in the trace element composition of fish otoliths can be used to identify fish to source, but the mechanisms controlling elemental composition are poorly understood. Environmental influences on the deposition of barium (Ba), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and strontium (Sr) in the otoliths of mudsuckers (Gillichthys mirabilis) were tested using a reciprocal field transplant experiment, in which fish from 3 estuaries were transplanted to each of the 3 estuaries. Fish originating from the 3 estuaries showed no differences in otolith chemistry that might reflect acclimation to past conditions in their home estuary or genetic differences among populations, which simplifies the interpretation of otolith chemistry. Cu and Mn concentrations in otoliths differed according to the site of transplant. Cu in otoliths showed the same pattern of difference among estuaries as did Cu in sediments, but there was no correspondence between Cu in otoliths and dissolved Cu. Ranked differences among estuaries in otolith Mn matched the ranking of estuary-specific differences in dissolved Mn, and there was no correspondence between the concentration of Mn in otoliths and sediments. Fish transplanted to different estuaries showed no differences in otolith concentrations of Ba or Sr, and the concentrations of Ba and Sr in the water column showed a similar lack of difference among estuaries. This study provides field evidence supporting the conclusion that the elemental composition of otoliths reflects environmental conditions to which fish have been recently exposed, but whether that correlation is with trace elements in the sediment or water column can vary.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
American Public Health Association (APHA). 1995. Standard Methods 3120 B: Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Method. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 19th edition. American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.
Barry, J. P., M. M. Yoklavich, G. M. Cailliet, D. A. Ambrose, andB. S. Antrim. 1996. Trophic ecology of the dominant fishes in Elkhorn Slough, California, 1974–1980.Estuaries 19:115–138.
Bath, G. E., S. R. Thorrold, C. M. Jones, S. E. Campana, J. W. McLaren, andJ. W. H. Lam. 2000. Strontium and barium uptake in aragonitic otoliths of marine fish.Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 64:1705–1714.
Beck, M. W., K. L. Heck, K. W. Able, D. L. Childers, D. B. Eggleston, B. M. Gillanders, B. Halpern, C. G. Hays, K. Hoshino, T. J. Minello, R. J. Orth, P. F. Sheridan, andM. R. Weinstein. 2001. The identification, conservation, and management of estuarine and marine nurseries for fish and invertebrates.Bioscience 51:633–641.
Brazner, J. C., S. E. Campana, D. K. Tanner, andS. T. Schram. 2004. Reconstructing habitat use and wetland nursery origin of yellow perch from Lake Superior using otolith elemental analysis.Journal of Great Lakes Research 30:492–507.
Brooks, A. J. 1999. Factors influencing the structure of an estuarine fish community: The role of interspecific competition. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.
Buckel, J. A., B. L. Sharack, andV. S. Zdanowicz. 2004. Effect of diet on otolith composition inPomatomus saltatrix, an estuarine piscivore.Journal of Fish Biology 64:1469–1484.
Bury, N. R., P. A. Walker, andC. N. Glover. 2003. Nutritive metal uptake in teleost fish.Journal of Experimental Biology 206:11–23.
Campana, S. E. 1999. Chemistry and composition of fish otoliths: Pathways, mechanisms, and applications.Marine Ecology Progress Series 188:263–297.
Campana, S. E., G. A. Chouinard, J. M. Hanson, A. Frechet, andJ. Brattey. 2000. Otolith elemental fingerprints as biological tracers of fish stocks.Fisheries Research 46:343–357.
Clements, W. H., J. T. Oris, andT. E. Wissing. 1994. Accumulation and food chain transfer of fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene inChironomus riparius andLepomis macrochirus.Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 26: 261–266.
Cohen, T., S. S. Q. Hee, andR. F. Ambrose. 2001. Trace metals in fish and invertebrates of three California coastal wetlands.Marine Pollution Bulletin 42:224–232.
Dove, S. G., B. M. Gillanders, andM. J. Kingsford. 1996. An investigation of chronological differences in the deposition of trace metals in the otoliths of two temperature reef fishes.Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 205:15–33.
Elsdon, T. S. andB. M. Gillanders. 2002. Interactive effects of temperature and salimity on otolith chemistry: Challenges for determining environmental histories of fish.Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 59:1796–1808.
Farrell, J. andS. E. Campana. 1996. Regulation of calcium and strontium deposition on the otoliths of juvenile tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus.Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-Comparative Physiology 115:103–109.
Forrester, G. E., B. I. Fredericks, D. Gerdeman, B. Evans, M. A. Steele, K. Zayed, L. E. Schweitzer, I. H. Suffet, R. R. Vance, andR. F. Ambrose. 2003. Growth of estuarine fish is associated with the combined concentration of sediment contaminants and shows no adaptation or acclimation to past conditions.Marine Environmental Research 56:423–442.
Forrester, G. E. andS. E. Swearer. 2002. Trace elements in otoliths indicate the use of open-coast versus bay nursery habitats by juvenile California halibut.Marine Ecology Progress Series 242:201–213.
Fowler, A. J., S. E. Campana, C. M. Jones, andS. R. Thorrold. 1995a. Experimental assessment of the effect of temperature and salinity on elemental composition of otoliths using solution-based ICPMS.Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 52:1421–1430.
Fowler, A. J., S. E. Campana, C. M. Jones, andS. R. Thorrold. 1995b. Experimental assessment of the effect of temperature and salinity on elemental composition of otoliths using laser ablation ICPMS.Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 52:1431–1441.
Gale, S. A., S. V. Smith, R. P. Lim, R. A. Jeffree, andP. Petocz. 2003. Insights into the mechanisms of copper tolerance of a population of black-banded rainbowfish (Melanotaenia nigrans) (Richardson) exposed to mine leachate, using Cu-64/67.Aquatic Toxicology 62:135–153.
Gallahar, N. K. andM. J. Kingsford. 1996. Factors influencing Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths ofGirella elevata: An experimental investigation.Journal of Fish Biology 48:174–186.
Geffen, A. J., N. J. G. Pearce, andW. T. Perkins. 1998. Metal concentrations in fish otoliths in relation to body composition after laboratory exposure to mercury and lead.Marine Ecology Progress Series 165:235–245.
Gillanders, B. M., K. W. Able, J. A. Brown, D. B. Eggleston, andP. F. Sheridan. 2003. Evidence of connectivity between juvenile and adult habitats for mobile marine fauna: An important component of nurseries.Marine Ecology Progress Series 247: 281–295.
Gillanders, B. M. andM. J. Kingsford. 1996. Elements in otoliths may elucidate the contribution of estuarine recruitment to sustaining coastal reef populations of a temperate reef fish.Marine Ecology Progress Series 141:13–20.
Hanson, P. J., C. C. Koenig, andV. S. Zdanowicz. 2004. Elemental composition of otoliths used to trace estuarine habitats of juvenile gagMycteroperca microlepis along the west coast of Florida.Marine Ecology Progress Series 267:253–265.
Hanson, P. J. andV. S. Zdanowicz. 1999. Elemental composition of otoliths from Atlantic croaker along an estuarine pollution gradient.Journal of Fish Biology 54:656–668.
Hoff, G. R. andL. A. Fuiman. 1995. Environmentally induced variation in elemental composition of red drum (Scianops ocellatus) otoliths.Bulletin of Marine Science 56:578–591.
Huang, D. andG. Bernardi. 2001. Disjunct Sea of Cortez-Pacific OceanGillichthys mirabilis populations and the evolutionary origin of their Sea of Cortez endemic relative,Gillichthys seta.Marine Biology 138:421–428.
Klerks, P. L. andJ. S. Weis. 1987. Genetic adaptation to heavy metals in aquatic organisms: A review.Environmental Pollution 45:173–206.
Limburg, K. E. 1995. Otolith strontium traces environmental history of subyearling American shadAlosa sapidissima.Marine Ecology Progress Series 119:25–35.
Milton, D. A. andS. R. Chenery. 2001a. Sources and uptake of trace metals in otoliths of juvenile barramundiLates calcarifer.Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 264:47–65.
Milton, D. A. andS. R. Chenery. 2001b. Can otolith chemistry detect the population structure of the shad hilsaTenualosa ilisha? Comparison with the results of genetic and morphological studies.Marine Ecology Progress Series 222:239–251.
Mugiya, Y., T. Hakamori, andK. Hatsutori. 1991. Trace metal incorporation into otoliths and scales in the goldfish,Carassius auratus.Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A—Comparative Physiology 99:327–331.
Patterson, H. M., R. S. McBride, andN. Julien. 2004. Population structure of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) as determined by otolith chemistry.Marine Biology 144:855–862.
Russo, R. E., X. L. Mao, H. C. Liu, J. Gonzalez, and S. S. Mao. Laser ablation in analytical chemistry—A review.Talanta 57: 425–451.
Sanchez-Jerez, P., B. M. Gillanders, andM. J. Kingsford. 2002. Spatial variability of trace elements in fish otoliths: Comparison with dietary items and habitat constituents in seagrass meadows.Journal of Fish Biology 61:801–821.
Sokal, R. R. andF. J. Rohlf. 1995. Biometry: The Principles and Practice of statistics in Biological Research, 3rd edition. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York.
Thomas, L. M., S. A. Holt, andS. R. Arnold. 1995. Chemical marking techniques of larval and juvenile red drum (Scienops ocellatus) otoliths using different fluorescent markers, p. 703–717.In D. H. Secor, J. M. Dean, and S. E. Campana (eds.), Recent Developments in Fish Otolith Research. University of South Carolina Press, Aiken, South Carolina.
Thorrold, S. R., C. M. Jones, S. E. Campana, J. W. McLaren, andJ. W. H. Lam. 1998. Trace element signatures in otoliths record natal river of juvenile American shad (Alosa sapidissima).Limnology and Oceanography 43:1826–1835.
Wall, S. B., J. J. Isely, andT. W. La Point. 1996. Fish bioturbation of cadmium-contaminated sediments: Factors affecting Cd availability toDaphnia magna.Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 15:294–298.
Wang, W. X. andN. S. Fisher. 1999. Delineating metal accumulation pathways for marine invertebrates.Science of the Total Environment 238:459–472.
Winer, B. J., D. R. Brown, andK. M. Michels. 1991. Statistical Principles in Experimental Design, 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Yoklavich, M. M., M. Stevenson, andG. M. Cailliet. 1992. Seasonal and spatial patterns of ichthyoplankton abundance in Elkhorn Slough, California.Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 34:109–126.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 1996. Acid Digestion of Sediments, Sludges and Soils Method 3050B. Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods. Publication SW-846, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Forrester, G.E. A field experiment testing for correspondence between trace elements in otoliths and the environment and for evidence of adaptation to prior habitats. Estuaries 28, 974–981 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02696025
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02696025