日本鳗鲡幼体的耳石微化学分析及其环境指示元素筛选

在长江口日本鳗鲡鳗苗捕捞汛期,于长江靖江段采集日本鳗鲡幼体,采用同步辐射X射线荧光(XRF)定量分析方法测定了幼体矢耳石中14种元素的含量,分析了在海洋与淡水早期生活史阶段的微化学特征。结果显示,耳石中Ca和Sr为常量元素,Ba、Fe、Mn、Zn的含量也在1-10μg/g之间,Cr、Ni、Se、Co、Cu、Au则在1 mg/g以下。Ni、Cu、Mn、Cr、Co、Zn和Sr含量的稳定性较好,变异系数在30%以下；Se、Au的含量低且极不稳定,变异系数达40.8-75.0%；Fe在不同个体间存在显著的含量差异(p=0.007<0.05),但其他元素不存在个体差异。在海洋生活史阶段,Mn、Se、Co、Ba为强富集元素(BCFa-e >1000),Sr、Fe、Zn、Ni、Cu为中等富集元素(BCFa-e在100~1000)。除Sr、Ba和Se外,卵黄囊期和柳叶鳗期的耳石富集系数并无显著差异(p>0.05)。在淡水生活史阶段,Sr和Co为强富集元素(BCFa-e >1000),Se、Zn、Cu、Ba、Mn为中等富集元素(BCFa-e在100~1000),Ni、Fe为低富集元素(BCFa-e在10~100)。与海水阶段相比,耳石在淡水阶段的Fe、Ba、Mn、Se、Co、Ni富集系数均大幅减小,而对Sr、Zn、Cu的富集能力有所增大。分析表明,耳石内的Sr、Ba、Ni、Co为环境强响应元素,Fe和Mn为环境弱响应元素,Zn、Cu和Se为环境负响应元素,幼鳗自海洋至淡水的迁徙过程中,前者存在明显的时滞效应,但后两者的日间含量波动较大,缺乏响应的规律性。本文认为,用作鱼类迁移行为或栖息地环境变化的指示元素,需要具备耳石富集效应强、时滞效应小、不同环境间含量差异大、稳定性好、且为非必需元素等特点。从本研究结果看,只有Sr和Ba两种元素符合这些条件 。     

To sea or not to sea? Multiple lines of evidence reveal the contribution of non‐diadromous recruitment for supporting endemic fish populations within New Zealand's longest river

1. Otolith microchemistry was used to identify marine‐ versus freshwater‐derived recruitment of three native freshwater fish species belonging to the southern hemisphere family Galaxiidae, in New Zealand's longest river system, the Waikato River.
2. Water chemistry data for trace elements and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios were collected from five lentic and 10 lotic water bodies throughout the lower river floodplain. Potential spawning sites for galaxiids were compared with values obtained by laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA‐ICPMS) depth profiling of young‐of‐the‐year otoliths sampled from fish in nine lower river catchment sites.
3. Otolith chemical signatures from the larval rearing period indicated that catchment‐scale recruitment for two species, Galaxias argenteus (Gmelin, 1789) and Galaxias fasciatus Gray, 1842, was driven predominantly by non‐diadromous recruitment from one lake (Lake Waahi). In contrast, diadromous recruitment appeared to be more common for Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns, 1842); however, non‐diadromous specimens were also identified for the first time from a New Zealand river.
4. Reversing lake outlet flows linked to river stage appears be important in facilitating the dispersal of rheotactic larvae out of lakes, suggesting that lake outflow management at key times could be used to sustain this ecologically important function.
5. This study highlights that some water bodies can supply a disproportionately large number of recruits to support fish populations within the wider riverscape. Identifying these water bodies and managing them to sustain recruitment is key to the conservation of non‐diadromous Galaxiidae in this modified lowland environment

     

Methods for studying spatial behaviour of freshwater fishes in the natural environment

Spatial behaviour of fishes in fresh and brackish water ranges in temporal scales between localized diel movements, often associated with foraging and predator evasion, to seasonal or life‐cycle related events involving movements between freshwater habitats or freshwater and marine biotopes. Recent technological advances have resulted in dramatic improvements in the range of techniques available for the study of spatial behaviour of freshwater fishes in the natural environment, and broadly may be divided into two categories: capture dependent and capture independent. The former incorporates those methods that rely on sampling marked fish (mark–recapture) or unmarked fish (density estimates, catch per unit effort) over defined scales of time and space in order to derive information on distribution and movement. Captured fish may also be tagged with transmitters that radiate energy, enabling the fish to be tracked and/or environmental data to be gathered. Biochemical analysis of samples from fish, requiring non‐destructive sampling (genetic analysis and scale microchemistry) or destructive sampling (otolith microchemistry) may also provide information on migration and ontogenetic processes. Capture independent techniques include visual observation and video techniques, hydroacoustics and automated fish counting. Catch per unit effort and mark–recapture techniques are most efficient where long‐term fishery or monitoring studies are in place and data on crude spatial and temporal scales are acceptable. They also have the advantages of low technical requirements and low equipment costs. Where specific management or ecological questions are pertinent, recapture independent techniques may be more appropriate. Telemetric methods can provide high resolution information at the individual level, while hydroacoustics is increasingly providing information at the population level in large lake and river environments. Biochemical methods are becoming increasingly useful in determining the extent of population segregation, where DNA analysis is used, and in the study of migration and ontogenetic changes in behaviour, where otolith microchemistry and stable isotope analysis is used.     

Discrimination of wild and hatchery trout by natural chronological patterns of elements and isotopes in otoliths using LA‐ICP‐MS

Abstract The potential to discriminate between wild and hatchery trout [Salmo trutta f. fario L. and Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)] by chronological microchemical patterns of different otolith regions was tested. Central and rim regions of otoliths were analysed for life stage specific elemental patterns of strontium (Sr), sodium (Na) and calcium (Ca) as well as of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS). Classification to life stage specific habitats was achieved with 100% accuracy by ⁸⁸Sr/⁴³Ca, ²³Na/⁴³Ca and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios resulting in a discrimination of hatchery fish from wild fish. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios and Sr concentration in otoliths were positively correlated with the ratio and amount in the water. Na content in otoliths did not directly reflect the concentration in the water, although the ²³Na/⁴³Ca ratio in otoliths contributed to the discrimination. Clear differences in otolith chemistry were found for fish experiencing different geological units or a groundwater‐fed environment in a hatchery. Natural chronological microchemical patterns in otoliths proved to be a valuable tool for discriminating wild and hatchery fish without the necessity to use marking methods. LA‐ICP‐MS is well suited for this application because of its limited need for sample preparation, its potentially high sample throughput and the possibility of simultaneous measurement of multiple elemental and isotopic fingerprints.     

Harnessing the potential for otolith microchemistry to foster the conservation of Amazonian fishes

1. Freshwater environments host roughly half of the world’s fish diversity, much of which is concentrated in large, tropical river systems such as the Amazon. Fishes are critical to ecosystem functioning in the Amazon River basin but face increasing human threats. The basic biology of these species, and particularly migratory behaviour, remains poorly studied, in part owing to the difficulty associated with conducting tagging studies in remote tropical regions.
2. Otolith microchemistry can circumvent logistical issues and is an increasingly important tool for studying fish life histories. However, this approach is still new in the Amazon, and its potential and limitations to inform fish conservation strategies remain unclear.
3. Here, otolith microchemistry studies in the Amazon are reviewed, highlighting current possibilities, and several key factors that limit its use as a conservation tool in the Amazon are discussed. These include the dearth of spatiotemporal elemental data, poor understanding of environment–fish–otolith pathways, and insufficient funding, facilities, and equipment.
4. A research initiative is proposed to harness the potential of this technique to support conservation in the Amazon. Key aspects of the proposal include recommendations for internal and external funding, which are critical to acquiring and maintaining technical staff, cutting-edge equipment, and facilities, as well as fostering regular scientific meetings and working groups. Meetings can facilitate a systematic approach to investigating environment–otolith pathways, broadening the chemical baseline for most Amazonian tributaries, and exploring potential valuable elements.
5. These outcomes are urgently needed to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the Amazon, especially given threats such as widespread hydroelectric damming. The initiative proposed here could make otolith microchemistry an important, cost-effective tool to inform and foster conservation in the Amazon, and act as a template for other imperilled tropical river basins, such as the Mekong and the Congo.

     

Migration of eels tagged in the Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren—in the context of the stocking question

Eels (Anguilla spp.) are in decline worldwide, and the signs of reduced recruitment have been observed in continental Europe since the early 1970s. To aid recovery of the European eel, stocking is used by many European countries as a management option. In this study, tagging experiments were conducted to follow eel migration from Lake Mälaren and four sites along the Swedish east coast in the Baltic Sea. The recaptured tagged eels were retrieved from fishermen, allowing for the opportunity to investigate their origin (brackish water, stocked in freshwater or a mix in between) by otolith microchemistry and to assess for morphological differences after tagging. Several changes took place; for example, eye index increased while weight and condition decreased with migrated distance and time until recapture. In Lake Mälaren, the majority of tagged eels did not migrate out of the outlets, irrespective of their origin. Most of them were caught in the opposite direction and continued to be caught in the lake 1–3 years after tagging, with significant weight losses. Overall, overwintering is suggested to be an inferior option, but it is uncertain whether this is a natural behaviour or a result of translocation and restocking. For coastal eels, origin had no effect on migratory behaviour; a majority of the tagged eels migrated towards the outlet of the Baltic Sea. Interestingly, a minority of the recaptured eels originated from stocked fish. Instead, recaptures were dominated by natural immigrants that had spent most of their lives in brackish waters.     

Diverse juvenile life‐history behaviours contribute to the spawning stock of an anadromous fish population

Habitat quality often varies substantially across space and time, producing a shifting mosaic of growth and mortality trade‐offs across watersheds. Traditional studies of juvenile habitat use have emphasised the evolution of single optimal strategies that maximise recruitment to adulthood and eventual fitness. However, linking the distribution of individual behaviours that contribute to recruitment at the population level has been elusive, particularly for highly fecund aquatic organisms. We examined juvenile habitat use within a population of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) that spawn in a watershed consisting of two interconnected lakes and a marine lagoon. Otolith microchemical analysis revealed that the productive headwater lake accounted for about half of juvenile growth for those individuals surviving to spawn in a single river in the upper watershed. However, 47% of adults had achieved more than half of their juvenile growth in the downstream less productive lake, and 3% of individuals migrated to the estuarine environment during their first summer and returned to freshwater to overwinter before migrating back to sea. These results describe a diversity of viable habitat‐use strategies by juvenile sockeye salmon that may buffer the population against poor conditions in any single rearing environment, reduce density‐dependent mortality and have implications for the designation of critical habitat for conservation purposes. A network of accessible alternative habitats providing trade‐offs in growth and survival may be important for long‐term viability of populations.     

Influence of maternal habitat choice,environment and spatial distribution of juveniles on their propensity for anadromy in a partially anadromous population of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study evaluated the importance of the environment and spatial distribution of juvenile fish for the adoption of alternative migratory tactics in a partially anadromous population of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from the Santa Cruz River. We captured young‐of‐the‐year fish along the river during autumn 2009, 2010 and spring 2010 and determined their maternal origin (anadromous vs. resident) using strontium to calcium ratios in the otolith core. Relative proportion of anadromous offspring, modelled with logistic regression, increased towards headwaters and in areas with deeper channels and larger substrate composition. Body length, modelled with linear multiple regression, varied positively with site depth, water velocity, substrate size and anadromous maternal origin. Based on evidence for limited juvenile movements (<25 km), the spatial extent of this study (240 Rkm) and the identification of large, contrasting reaches along the river, it is likely that the observed spatial distribution of juveniles and their association to sites with coarse substrate composition reflects maternal spawning activity. Results further indicate that anadromous females breed predominantly in middle and upper river sections in areas with coarse substrate. Given that body size in this system has been positively related to propensity for anadromy, we propose that female spawning choice affects their offspring's spatial distribution, providing the adequate physical template for anadromous offspring to reach or maintain larger body sizes and display anadromy themselves. Relevance of this study is also discussed in the context of alterations in response to future dam construction in one of the latest free‐flowing rivers sustaining anadromous O. mykiss.     

Taxonomic and geographic influences on fish otolith microchemistry

Fish otoliths are comprised primarily of CaCO₃ and grow throughout an individual's lifetime. The chemical composition of otoliths is often a distinctive characteristic of the populations that live in discrete areas, and as a result, it has been used for population classification studies, supporting ecological and fisheries research. However, the deposition of chemical elements in the otolith is influenced by both physiological and environmental factors. We review observed trends in otolith elemental composition and then test the taxonomic and geographical patterns, using marine species in European waters. anova comparisons and multivariate analyses revealed strong taxonomic signals in species inhabiting the same region. Variations in Sr, Mg, Mn and Ba concentrations were most often species specific; for example, multivariate analyses showed separation of cod (Gadus morhua) and herring (Clupea harengus) based primarily on Mg and Sr concentrations, while Mn and Ba concentrations separated bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus) and sole (Solea solea). The relative contributions of taxonomic and regional factors varied between elements. For cod and herring, for example, species‐specific differences explain 75% of the variation for Mn, but only 50% of the variation in Sr. Although there are significant regional differences within a single species on both a restricted and extensive geographic scale, these regional patterns are not the same for each species. As the amount of otolith composition data increases, representing more species and regions, as well as longer time series, further analyses can provide a deeper insight into the predictability of using otolith data in fisheries ecology.     

Using otolith microchemistry to reconstruct habitat use of American eels Anguilla rostrata in the St. Lawrence River–Lake Ontario system

Catadromy among freshwater eels is increasingly recognised as being facultative, with some individuals carrying out growth exclusively in brackish or coastal marine waters, or switching between brackish or marine waters and freshwater habitats. In an attempt to reconstruct habitat use of yellow‐stage American eels in a large river‐lake ecosystem, trace element line scans were obtained, using LA‐ICP‐MS, from the otoliths of 110 eels sampled at various locations throughout the St. Lawrence River–Lake Ontario (SLRLO) system. Elemental profiles for strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), manganese (Mn) and magnesium (Mg) enabled us to distinguish three chemical signatures that appear to represent three distinct habitats within the SLRLO. Of these, one was shown to likely correspond to the brackish estuary (high strontium values). The other two signatures, characterised by low strontium but variable concentrations of barium and manganese, may correspond to habitats within the main‐stem St. Lawrence River and one or more of its tributaries. Most (78%) of the switches among habitats occurred within the first four years after recruitment suggesting an increasing likelihood for eels to maintain residence in one habitat as they grow older. This suggests that tributaries may provide important habitats for American eels during the first several years after recruiting to the SLRLO. In addition, our results suggest that a small proportion American eels in the SLRLO can undertake movements on the order of at least 200 km during the early growth stage. This information has important implications for the management and conservation of this species in the system.