Abstract
The relationship between the strontium content and growth rate of otoliths was examined in the goldfish Carassius auratus. After 131-day rearing of hatched larvae, asterisci and lapilli were dissected, measured for length and weight, and analyzed for calcium and strontium contents by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Data were expressed in terms of the growth rate of each otolith.
Lapilli were smaller and contained 4.7 times more strontium than asterisci. Calcium content did not differ between the lapilli and asterisci and had no significant correlation with the growth rate of either otolith. On the other hand, strontium contents showed significant negative correlations for otoliths with low growth rates in both asterisci (correlation coefficient, r=-0.46) and lapilli (r=-0.62). Sr/Ca ratios also showed similar correlations for otoliths with low growth rates (r=-0.46 and -0.64 for asterisci and lapilli, respectively). These results indicate that strontium tends to incorporate into otoliths in the slow phase of calcification.
