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Environ Biol Fish (2012) 95:431443 DOI 10.1007/s10641-012-0032-3
Elemental signature in otolith nuclei for stock discrimination of anadromous tapertail anchovy (Coilia nasus) using laser ablation ICPMS
Shuo-Zeng Dou & Yosuke Amano & Xin Yu &
Liang Cao & Kotaro Shirai & Tsuguo Otake &
Katsumi Tsukamoto
Received: 19 September 2011 /Accepted: 20 April 2012 /Published online: 5 May 2012 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012
Abstract The elemental signature in otolith nuclei was determined using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) for stock discrimination of adult anadromous tapertail anchovy, Coilia nasus, in five Chinese estuaries. Five elements (Na, Mg, K, Sr, and Ba) were well detected in the otolith nuclei of the adult fish. Results showed that the elemental composition in the otolith nuclei varied substantially among the estuaries. Age and fish length data showed no significant influences on the elemental concentration ratios across the sample sites. The Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca ratios were inter-site distinct and could be used as natal tags for discriminating among stocks. Discriminant function analyses (DFA) showed that these ratios can be used in discriminating the Liaohe River estuary (LD,92.3 %), the Yangtze River estuary (CJ, 86.7 %), and the Yellow River estuary (HH, 76.9 %) samples with high
classification accuracy, followed by the Haihe River estuary (BH, 58.3 %) and the Daguhe River estuary (JZ, 46.2 %) samples. An overall classification accuracy rate of 72.7 % from the discriminant functions indicated that elemental fingerprinting appeared to have the potential to discriminate between tapertail anchovy stocks in these estuaries.
Keywords Otolith chemistry. Elemental fingerprinting . Population discrimination . Anadromous fish . Chinese estuaries
Introduction
In the past two decades, the study of otolith chemistry and application of elemental fingerprinting have been proven to be a useful natural marker in reconstructing the migratory history of individual fish and discriminating among populations (Edmonds et al. 1991; Thresher et al. 1994; Campana 1999; Kennedy et al. 2000; Gillanders 2002). Several papers have critically evaluated the recent advances in this field (Campana 1999; Thresher 1999; Campana and Thorrold 2001; Elsdon and Gillanders 2003; Elsdon et al. 2008). Otolith elemental fingerprinting is largely based on the assumptions that the environment (e.g., water chemistry) influences the incorporation of elements into the otolith and that once these...