Otolith Chemistry in Riverine Fish Populations
Summary
Otoliths are calcified structures in the inner ear of teleost fish that accrete layers of aragonite and trace elements over the lifetime of the individual. The elemental and isotopic composition of otoliths records environmental and physiological information, enabling reconstruction of migration pathways, natal origins and habitat use within riverine systems. Recent advances in microanalytical techniques have enhanced spatial resolution and sensitivity, allowing detection of subtle chemical gradients associated with river catchments, pollution sources and life-history events. By integrating otolith microchemistry with hydrological data, fishery managers and ecologists gain powerful tools to discern population connectivity, assess the impacts of anthropogenic barriers, and inform conservation strategies for freshwater biodiversity.
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Otolith Chemistry in Riverine Fish Populations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in otolith chemistry in riverine fish populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Otolith: Calcified biomineral structure in the inner ear of teleost fish that records chemical signatures over time.
Elemental fingerprinting: The use of distinct combinations of trace elements to identify environmental histories or origins of organisms.
Strontium to Calcium ratio (Sr:Ca): The proportion of strontium to calcium in otolith aragonite, often used as an indicator of habitat salinity and migration between freshwater and marine environments.
Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS): A microanalytical technique that uses a laser to vaporise a small area of a sample and measures elemental composition with high sensitivity and spatial resolution.
References
- Otolith chemistry as a tool to infer about the population structure of the bigtooth corvina (Isopisthus parvipinnis) in the Southeast Brazilian coast. Frontiers in Marine Science (2019).
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