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Age and early life history of juvenile scotia sea icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus, from Elephant and the South Shetland Islands

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Abstract

The otolith microstructure of juvenile Scotia Sea icefish (Chaenocephalus aceratus) was analyzed from samples collected around Elephant and South Shetland Islands, with the aim to validate previous annual ageing and to give new insight into its early life history timings. Fish were caught by bottom trawl fishing conducted on the continental shelf between 100 and 500 m depth. To determine the timing and position of the first annulus on sagittal otoliths, microincrements were counted on juvenile otoliths previously aged 1+ year old by counting annuli in sectioned otolith. Assuming that microincrements were laid down daily, age ranged from 406 to 578 days in fish measuring 13–19 cm TL, thus corroborating previous results. The relationship between fish size and otolith size/weight was estimated using the least square linear regression method. The relationship between age and otolith size was also estimated to determine the otolith length in 1-year old fish, which was approximately 1.58 mm. In all samples the otolith core was characterized by an evident strong check, assumed to be laid down at the beginning of exogenous feeding of yolk sac larvae. The yolk sac duration estimated from hatch to the first feeding check was longer than other channichthyids, lasting 29–45 days. Hatching dates were backcalculated from the date of capture using the age estimates, indicating C. aceratus sampled off Elephant and South Shetland Islands hatched over a long period lasting from July to December, with a peak in November. As a result, the potential larval dispersion driven by local oceanographic features is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We are very much indebted to the scientific staff and crew for their invaluable work carried out during the ANTXIX/3 and AMLR cruises. This study was financially supported by the PNRA (Italian National Antarctic Research Program).

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  1. Sezione di Ancona, Largo Fiera della Pesca, 60125, Ancona, Italy

    Mario La Mesa

  2. Center for Quantitative Fisheries Ecology, Old Dominion University, 800 West 46th St., Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA

    Julian Ashford

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  1. Mario La Mesa
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  2. Julian Ashford
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Correspondence to Mario La Mesa.

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La Mesa, M., Ashford, J. Age and early life history of juvenile scotia sea icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus, from Elephant and the South Shetland Islands. Polar Biol 31, 221–228 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0351-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0351-6

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