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Time lag of the response on the otolith strontium/calcium ratios of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica to changes in strontium/calcium ratios of ambient water

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Abstract

We conducted a laboratory experiment to validate the relationship between the otolith strontium/calcium (Sr/Ca) ratio of Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica) and water Sr/Ca ratio when the ratio in water was changed. A linear and additive mixed modeling approach was used to assess otolith Sr/Ca ratio for elver-juvenile Japanese eels when ambient water was changed from seawater to freshwater. There was a significant difference between otolith Sr/Ca ratios of eels reared in freshwater and in seawater (freshwater: 1.3–2.3; seawater: 7.0–7.8 mmol/mol). The response of otolith Sr/Ca ratios of eels was not detected until after 10 d and models suggested that it might not be completed until at least 30–60 d. This study indicated the detailed ability of otolith Sr/Ca ratio to be used as a proxy for reconstructing the individual environmental history of Japanese eels. These findings can provide some assurances for future otolith Sr/Ca studies of eels in this system or in other areas that have similar environmental conditions.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Miura for assistance in the experiment, N. Mizuno for assistance in water collection efforts, and M. J. Miller for assistance in improving the manuscript. We also thank the fishermen and members of the Hamana Fisheries Cooperative for assistance in fish sampling, and Y. Suzuki and the other members of the Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, and T. Otake and the other members of the International Coastal Research Center, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo for assistance in coordination of the experiment. This study was supported in part by the River Fund of the Foundation of River and Watershed Environment Management (FORREM), Japan

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277–8564, Japan

    Kazuki Yokouchi, Nobuto Fukuda, Jun Aoyama & Katsumi Tsukamoto

  2. Estuarine Ecosystems and Diadromous Fish Research Unit, Cemagref, 50 avenue de Verdun, F–33612, Cestas Cedex, France

    Kazuki Yokouchi & Françoise Daverat

  3. Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113–0033, Japan

    Kotaro Shirai

Authors
  1. Kazuki Yokouchi
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  2. Nobuto Fukuda
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  3. Kotaro Shirai
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  4. Jun Aoyama
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  5. Françoise Daverat
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  6. Katsumi Tsukamoto
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Correspondence to Kazuki Yokouchi.

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Yokouchi, K., Fukuda, N., Shirai, K. et al. Time lag of the response on the otolith strontium/calcium ratios of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica to changes in strontium/calcium ratios of ambient water. Environ Biol Fish 92, 469–478 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9864-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9864-5

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