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Elemental composition of otolith growth marks in three geographically separated populations of European hake (Merluccius merluccius)

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Abstract

The composition of the opaque and translucent bands in the otoliths of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) from three different populations (Celtic Sea, Galicia shelf and Cretan Sea) was analysed with wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS) and differences in Ca, Sr and Na were compared. The translucent bands (annual marks and checks altogether) were significantly richer in Sr and Ca and significantly poorer in Na than opaque bands. Results support the idea of a more compact arrangement of crystals in translucent bands compared to opaque. Analyses did not help to discriminate between putative annual marks and checks. Clear differences in the range of Sr/Ca variation across the otolith as well as in the composition of the otolith core were observed among the three populations. As a result it was possible to discriminate the natal origin of each fish using the composition of the otolith core in Ca, Sr and Na. Nevertheless, the overall pattern across the otolith was similar among the three populations suggesting the existence of ontogenetic trends. Variation of Na/Ca ratios was largely uninformative. Based on these results, a conceptual model for hake is proposed which integrates the different sources of otolith Sr/Ca variation: ambient Sr/Ca, endogenous cues (ontogeny) and exogenous cues (environment).

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Dr Pete Hill from the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of the University of Edinburgh (UK) for WDS analyses. This study was funded by the European Union, Project DG-XIV-96-075 and NERC (National Environment Research Council, UK) through funding of the WDS analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, Port Erin Marine Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Isle of Man, IM9 6JA, Port Erin, UK

    Javier Tomás & Audrey J. Geffen

  2. Fisheries Laboratory CEFAS, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, NR33 OHT, Suffolk, UK

    Richard S. Millner

  3. Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Cabo Estay-Canido, Apdo. 1552, 36280, Vigo, Spain

    Carmen G. Piñeiro

  4. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Iraklion, Crete, Greece

    George Tserpes

  5. Department of Biology, University of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, 5020, Bergen, Norway

    Audrey J. Geffen

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  1. Javier Tomás
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  2. Audrey J. Geffen
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  3. Richard S. Millner
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  4. Carmen G. Piñeiro
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  5. George Tserpes
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Correspondence to Audrey J. Geffen.

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Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin

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Tomás, J., Geffen, A.J., Millner, R.S. et al. Elemental composition of otolith growth marks in three geographically separated populations of European hake (Merluccius merluccius). Marine Biology 148, 1399–1413 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-005-0171-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-005-0171-6

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