Unravelling the life history of Amazonian fishes through otolith microchemistry. Issue 6 (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hermann, Theodore W.; Stewart, Donald J.; Limburg, Karin E.; Castello, Leandro
• Is Part Of: Royal Society open science. Volume 3:Issue 6(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: otolith microchemistry -- Amazon -- life history -- fish migration; Science -- Periodicals; 500
• DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160206
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2054-5703

Abstract

Abstract : Amazonian fishes employ diverse migratory strategies, but the details of these behaviours remain poorly studied despite numerous environmental threats and heavy commercial exploitation of many species. Otolith microchemistry offers a practical, cost-effective means of studying fish life history in such a system. This study employed a multi-method, multi-elemental approach to elucidate the migrations of five Amazonian fishes: two 'sedentary' species ( Arapaima sp. and Plagioscion squamosissimus ), one 'floodplain migrant' ( Prochilodus nigricans ) and two long-distance migratory catfishes ( Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii and B. filamentosum ). The Sr : Ca and Zn : Ca patterns in Arapaima were consistent with its previously observed sedentary life history, whereas Sr : Ca and Mn : Ca indicated that Plagioscion may migrate among multiple, chemically distinct environments during different life-history stages. Mn : Ca was found to be potentially useful as a marker for identifying Prochilodus 's transition from its nursery habitats into black water. Sr : Ca and Ba : Ca suggested that B. rousseauxii resided in the Amazon estuary for the first 1.5–2 years of life, shown by the simultaneous increase/decrease of otolith Sr : Ca/Ba : Ca, respectively. Our results further suggested that B. filamentosum did not enter the estuary during its life history. These results introduce what should be a productive line of research desperately needed to better understand the migrations of these unique and imperilled fishes.