Otolith chemistry chimes in: migratory environmental histories of Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) caught from offshore waters of French Guiana

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• 作者：Mehis Rohtla ; Markus Vetemaa
• 关键词：Atlantic tarpon ; Otolith microchemistry ; French Guiana ; Migration
• 刊名：Environmental Biology of Fishes
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：September 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：99
• 期：8-9
• 页码：593-602
• 全文大小：590 KB
• 刊物类别：Earth and Environmental Science
• 刊物主题：Environment
  Environment
  Nature Conservation
  Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/ Biogeography
  Zoology
  Hydrobiology
  
• 出版者：Springer Netherlands
• ISSN：1573-5133
• 卷排序：99

文摘

The migratory life histories of 37 Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) caught from offshore waters of French Guiana were quantified using otolith Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca ratios. In general Sr:Ca ratio was more informative marker for inferring movements along salinity gradients, but Ba:Ca ratio was used to infer movements to estuarine mixing zones with high Ba availability. All sampled individuals had made use of marine and brackish water but only 8 % had experienced fresh water and 24 % hypersaline water. The newly-hatched post-metamorphic larvae recruited to brackish (49 %), sea (43 %), fresh (5 %) and hypersaline (3 %) water nursery areas. Following the settlement to nursery areas Atlantic tarpon likely displayed facultative habitat selection and complex set of inter-habitat shifting among waters of various salinity. The combined use of both markers allowed us to conclude that brackish (estuarine) areas are likely the main habitat for Atlantic tarpon in French Guiana, and fresh water use is surprisingly rare. As no general migratory life-history emerged, and because Atlantic tarpon seemed rather facultative in its habitat use, it should be regarded as ‘euryhaline marine migrantʼ.