Chemical archives in fishes beyond otoliths: A review on the use of other body parts as
chronological recorders of chemical constituents Orian Tzadik*1, Joseph Curtis1, Jennifer Granneman1, Benjamin Kurth1,
Timothy Pusack1, Amy Wallace1, David Hollander1, Ernst Peebles1,
Christopher Stallings1
1University of South Florida: College of Marine Science, St Petersburg, FL, USA
*Email: [email protected] H:549
The Use of Alternative Structures
Fin Spines (30 – 35% calcified)
Fin Rays (23 – 29% calcified)
Endoskeleton (up to 40% calcified) Scales (< 20% calcified)
Eye Lenses (0% calcified)
Advantages
• Useful for aging studies
Limitations
• Lethal sampling required
• TEA not recommended due to bone remodeling
• SIA not recommended due to unknown isotopic
turnover rates of bone collagen
Advantages
• Non-lethal sampling possible
• Movement studies possible via TEA
Limitations
• Useful for aging studies, but possible loss of early
annuli due to vascularization and resorption
• Diet studies via SIA remain untested
Advantages
• Non-lethal sampling possible
• Movement studies possible via both TEA and SIA
• Diet studies possible via both TEA and SIA
Limitations
• Useful for aging studies, but possible loss of early
annuli due to vascularization and resorption
Advantages
• Non-lethal sampling possible and samples are plentiful
• Movement studies possible via both TEA and SIA
• Diet studies possible via both TEA and SIA
Limitations
• Aging, movement, and diet studies are biased by edge
crowding, metabolic reworking, over-plating, and
inconsistent circuli formation
Advantages
• Movement studies possible via both TEA and SIA
• Diet studies possible via both TEA and SIA
• Easy workup with no expensive machinery required
Limitations
• Lethal sampling required
• Has yet to be tested for suitability for aging studies
• Completely un-calcified structure
• Otoliths have been used in
fisheries studies for 100+ years
• Otoliths require lethal
sampling, and lack a robust
organic matrix for chronological
Stable Isotope Analyses (SIA)
• SIA and Trace Element Analyses (TEA) measure
microchemical constituents of the organic and
inorganic material in sequentially deposited tissues
for movement and diet studies.
• By reviewing the literature, we summarized the
advantages and limitations of several alternative
structures to otoliths for microchemical analyses
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