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Retention of a transgenerational marker (137Barium) in tissues of adult female anemonefish and assessment of physiological stress

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Abstract

Recently it was shown that female fish injected with enriched stable isotopes maternally transmit a chemical signature to larval otoliths. Validation of this larval marking technique requires laboratory experiments to determine appropriate injection concentrations and to assess any negative effects on larval and adult condition. This study investigated the temporal profile of 137barium assimilation and retention in tissues of adult female anemonefish Amphiprion melanopus (Pomacentridae) following intraperitoneal injection with either 2 or 4 μg 137Ba g−1 body mass. Mean barium isotope ratios (138Ba:137Ba) in the two groups of treated fish were not significantly different from each other, but were significantly different from those in the control group up to 56 days post-injection. This pattern of 137Ba retention was consistent across gonad, muscle, liver and bone tissues. Mean plasma cortisol concentration (an indicator of non-specific physiological stress) was not significantly different among groups and was considered to be representative of unstressed fish. Together, these results indicate that (1) A. melanopus suffer minimal physiological stress and cope well after treatment with 137Ba, (2) 137Ba is retained in female A. melanopus for a prolonged period (at least 56 days), such that multiple clutches of offspring are likely to be marked with an isotopic signature, and (3) a lower dosage of 2 μg 137Ba g−1 appears sufficient for transgenerational marking. It is concluded that 137Ba is suitable for use as a transgenerational marker and is a powerful tool to resolve long-standing enigmas such as larval dispersal distances and the fishery benefits of marine reserves.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this work was provided by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. The authors are grateful for logistical support provided by S. Weaver, G. Duffin and J. Morrison at the Marine and Aquaculture Research Facilities Unit, Yi Hu at the Advanced Analytical Centre, and N. Pankhurst at the Fish Endocrinology Laboratory, James Cook University. Technical assistance from D. Lemke and K. Markey was also greatly appreciated. This research was undertaken with permission from the James Cook University Animal Ethics Review Committee (approval no. A1134).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    Alexandra-Sophie Roy, Ashley J. Frisch & Geoffrey P. Jones

  2. Institute of Marine and Antarctic Science, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Craig Syms

  3. Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA

    Simon R. Thorrold

  4. GEOMAR - Helmholz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    Alexandra-Sophie Roy

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  1. Alexandra-Sophie Roy
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  2. Ashley J. Frisch
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  3. Craig Syms
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  4. Simon R. Thorrold
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  5. Geoffrey P. Jones
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Correspondence to Alexandra-Sophie Roy.

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Roy, AS., Frisch, A.J., Syms, C. et al. Retention of a transgenerational marker (137Barium) in tissues of adult female anemonefish and assessment of physiological stress. Environ Biol Fish 96, 459–466 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0029-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0029-y

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