Freshwater fish otoliths record signals from both water and physiological processes: new insights from Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios

Using strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) in otoliths to determine natal origins and understand patterns of fish movements is based on the fundamental assumption that otoliths record water chemistry signals without any major alterations. Although prior studies highlighted that fish physiology can modify...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inCanadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. 223 - 240
Main Authors Bareille, G., Vignon, M., Chappaz, A., Fontaine, A., Tabouret, H., Morat, F., Martin, J., Aymes, J.C., Daverat, F., Pécheyran, C., Donard, O.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Ottawa Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press 01.02.2024
NRC Research Press
Subjects
Barium
Calcium
Chemistry
Composition
Environmental Sciences
Fish
Fish physiology
Freshwater fish
Life Sciences
Otoliths
Physiological effects
Physiology
Salmon
Seasonal variations
Strontium
Water chemistry
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Using strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) in otoliths to determine natal origins and understand patterns of fish movements is based on the fundamental assumption that otoliths record water chemistry signals without any major alterations. Although prior studies highlighted that fish physiology can modify the water signal in otoliths, studies for freshwater fish are scarce. We exposed different groups of Atlantic salmon parr Salmo salar to different scenarios of ambient-level variations in Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios and then combined otolith chemical profiles with environmental data (water chemistry and temperature), Fulton's index, and otolith growth rates to assess what factors explain/influence the elemental ratios of Sr and Ba in otoliths. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) using water-based otolith composition, temperature, Fulton's index, and “individual” as explanatory variables allow to demonstrate that water chemistry alone cannot fully explain measured ratios in otoliths, except in scenarios involving significant changes in water chemistry. Other factors (physiological effects) should be accounted for reproducing short and minimal seasonal variations in water composition, considering that inter-individual variability contributes quite significantly in most scenarios.
ISSN:0706-652X
1205-7533
DOI:10.1139/cjfas-2022-0030