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Stable isotope records from otoliths as tracers of fish migration in a mangrove system.

Huxham, Mark; Kimani, E; Newton, J; Augley, Julian John

Authors

E Kimani

J Newton

Julian John Augley



Abstract

The ratios of stable isotopes 18O:16O and 13C:12C were measured in otolith carbon taken from nine species of fishes caught within mangroves and on the reef at Gazi Bay, Kenya. Before analysis, otoliths were divided into `larval'`post-larval' and `adult' sections using a drill. Fishes were putatively classified as `mangrove residents'`offshore residents' or `migrants' on the basis of information from the literature, and depending on where they were caught (mangroves only, offshore only or both mangroves and offshore) in the present study. Eight of the species exhibited an increase in otolith 13C:12C with age, but this was significant only in the two migrant species Lethrinus harak and Lutjanus fulviflammus. There were no consistent patterns in 18O:16O with age, or between migrants and non-migrants. These results suggest that comparing absolute values of otolith oxygen and carbon isotope signatures between fish species is not a useful way of determining migration patterns at this site, because of species-specific differences in carbon metabolism and insufficiently steep gradients in temperature and salinity. Changes in carbon isotope signatures between life stages within a species, however, do hold promise as migration tracers.

Citation

Huxham, M., Kimani, E., Newton, J., & Augley, J. J. (2007). Stable isotope records from otoliths as tracers of fish migration in a mangrove system. Journal of Fish Biology, 70, 1554-1567. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01443.x

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date 2007-05
Deposit Date Jul 11, 2008
Print ISSN 0022-1112
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 70
Pages 1554-1567
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01443.x
Keywords Fish migration; Otoliths; Habitat use; Mangroves; Reef; Stable isotopes;
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/1703
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01443.x


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