Factors influencing otolith strontium/calcium ratios in Anguilla japonica elvers

Yutaka Kawakami, Noritaka Mochioka, Koichiro Morishita, Toshihiro Tajima, Hisaki Nakagawa, Hidetoshi Toh, Akinobu Nakazono

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55 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The effects of temperature and salinity on the concentration ratios of strontium (Sr) to calcium (Ca) within the sagittal otoliths of elvers of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, were studied by spot analysis using a wavelength dispersive X-ray electron microprobe. A total of 340 elvers were used: 100 elvers were reared for 15 days under various salinity conditions (freshwater, one-third seawater, two-thirds seawater and pure seawater at 22 °C; 240 elvers were reared for 58 days under various water temperature conditions (12,17, 22, 27 °C) in either freshwater or pure seawater. Otolith Sr/Ca ratios were found to be positively correlated with water salinity. On the other hand, the Sr/Ca ratios were not found to be significantly different among the various temperature groups. The above results strongly suggest that the physiological mechanism of incorporation of Sr and Ca within the otolith of an eurythermal fish, Japanese eel, does not change within this range of temperatures (12-27 °C).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)299-303
Number of pages5
JournalEnvironmental Biology of Fishes
Volume52
Issue number1-3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1998

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Aquatic Science

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