The effect of temperature on the elemental composition of sagittae (otoliths) taken from the juvenile Japanese flounder
Paralichthys olivaceus, reared at constant temperatures (9, 12, 15, 19, 22 and 25°C) for one month, was studied using particle induced X-ray emissions (PIXE). Several elements were detected in the otoliths; not only calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), strontium (Sr) and potassium (K), but also iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu). The PIXE technique proved to be an effective tool for performing multielement analysis in small fish otolith. The strontium-calcium (Sr/Ca) concentration ratios of lab-reared juvenile flounder were inversely proportional to the respective cultivating temperatures (body growth rate) between 12°C and 22°C. The Cl concentrations and the chloride-calcium (Cl/Ca) concentration ratios were inversely proportional to the respective culfivation temperatures between 9°C and 25°C. On the other band, the Zn concentrations and the zinc-calcium (Zn/Ca) concentration ratios were directly proportional to the cultivation temperatures within the same range. No significant changes in other element concentrations and each of these/Ca concentration ratios in the otoliths were found. These results indicate that there is it may be possible to use the relationship between the elemental composition of otoliths and the ambient temperature as a means of reconstructing the life history of this fish.
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