Abstract
The life history in a brackish water type of the ninespine stickleback, Pungitius pungitius, was studied by examining the strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) concentrations in the otoliths. The fluctuating patterns of Sr/Ca ratios along the life history transect in the otoliths varied widely among fish in spite of their identification as brackish water type as estimated by morphological characteristics. More than 70% fish showed the intermediate otolith Sr/Ca ratio throughout, averaging 5.23–7.71 × 10−3. Besides this brackish water resident life history type of P. pungitius, other sticklebacks had anadromous (25%) and freshwater amphidromous (2.5%) life history types. These findings clearly indicate that the migration of the ninespine stickleback between fresh and sea waters is obligatory but facultative having an ability to utilize the full range of salinity in its life history.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Arai T (2002) Migratory history of fishes: present status and perspectives of the analytical methods. (in Japanese with English abstract). Jpn J Ichthyol 49:1–23
Arai T (2006) Comparison of habitat use during early life stage between ayu Plecoglossus altivelis and ice goby Leucopsarion petersi, along the Sanriku Coast of Japan, as determined from otolith microchemistry. Fish Sci 72:382–387
Arai T, Goto A (2005) Flexible life history strategies of ninespine sticklebacks, genus Pungitius. Environ Biol Fishes 74:43–50
Arai T, Otake T, Tsukamoto K (1997) Drastic changes in otolith microstructure and microchemistry accompanying the onset of metamorphosis in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 161:17–22
Arai T, Goto A, Miyazaki N (2003a) Use of otolith microchemistry to estimate the migratory history of the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 83:223–230
Arai T, Goto A, Miyazaki N (2003b) Migratory history of the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. Ichthyol Res 50:9–14
Arai T, Hayano H, Asami H, Miyazaki N (2003c) Coexistence of anadromous and lacustrine life histories of the shirauo, Salangichthys microdon. Fish Oceanogr 12:134–139
Arai T, Kotake A, Ohji M, Miller MJ, Tsukamoto K, Miyazaki N (2003d) Occurrence of sea eels of Anguilla japonica along the Sanriku Coast of Japan. Ichthyol Res 50:78–81
Arai T, Kotake A, Ohji M, Miyazaki N, Tsukamoto K (2003e) Migratory history and habitat use of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica in the Sanriku Coast of Japan. Fish Sci 69:813–818
Arai T, Kotake A, Lokman PM, Miller MJ, Tsukamoto K (2004) Evidence of different habitat use by New Zealand freshwater eels, Anguilla australis and A. dieffenbachii, as revealed by otolith microchemistry. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 266:213–225
Arai T, Kotake A, McCarthy TK (2006a) Habitat use by the European eel Anguilla auguilla in Irish waters. Estuar, Coast Shelf Sci 67:569–578
Arai T, Yang J, Miyazaki N (2006b) Migration flexibility between freshwater and marine habitats of the pond smelt Hypomesus nipponensis. J Fish Biol 68:1388–1398
Baker RR (1978) The Evolutionary ecology of animal migration. Holmes and Meier, New York, p 1012
Campana SE (1999) Chemistry and composition of fish otoliths: pathways, mechanisms and applications. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 188:263–297
Goto A, Arai T (2003) Migratory histories of three types of Cottus pollux (small-egg, middle-egg, and large-egg types), as revealed by otolith microchemistry. Ichthyol Res 50:67–72
Hanson AJ, Smith HD (1967) Mate selection in a population of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) of mixed age groups. J Fish Res Board Can 24:1955–1977
Kume M, Kuwahara T, Arai T, Okamoto Y, Goto A (2006) A part of the Japan Sea form of threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, spawns in the seawater tidal pools of western Hokkaido Island, Japan. Environ Biol Fishes 77:169–175
Randall RG, Healey MC, Dempson JB (1987) Variability in length of freshwater residence of salmon, trout and char. Am Fish Soc Symp 1:27–41
Takahashi H, Takata K, Goto A (2001) Phylogeography of lateral plate dimorphism in the freshwater type of ninespine sticklebacks, genus Pungitius. Ichthyol Res 48:143–154
Takata K, Goto A, Hamada K (1984) Geographic distribution and variation of three species of ninespine sticklebacks (Pungitius tymensis, P. pungitius and P. sinensis) in Hokkaido. (in Japanese with English abstract). Jpn J Ichthyol 31:312–326
Takata K, Goto A, Yamazaki F (1987a) Biochemical identification of a brackish water type of Pungitius, and its morphological and ecological features in Hokkaido, Japan. Jpn J Ichthyol 34:176–183
Takata K, Goto A, Yamazaki F (1987b) Genetic differences of Pungitius pungitius and P. sinensis in a small pond of the Omono River System, Japan. Jpn J Ichthyol 29:203–212
Townsend DW, Radtke RL, Corwin S, Libby DA (1992) Stroutium:calcium ratios in juvenile Atlantic herring Clupea harengus L. otoliths as a function of water temperature. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 160:131–140
Tsukamoto K, Arai T (2001) Facultative catadromy of the eel, Anguilla japonica, between freshwater and seawater habitats. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 20:265–276
Wootton RJ (1976) The biology of the sticklebacks. Academic, London, p 387
Acknowledgements
We thank T. Kitamura for his assistance in field collections. This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid Nos. 15780130, 15380125, and 20688008 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan, and a Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from The Japan Science Society.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Arai, T., Goto, A. Diverse migratory histories in a brackish water type of the ninespine stickleback, Pungitius pungitius . Environ Biol Fish 83, 349–353 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-008-9349-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-008-9349-3