Life Sciences Commons^™

Regional Patterns In The Otolith Chemistry Of Juvenile Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion Nebulosus) Differ Under Contrasting Hydrological Regimes, Chet F. Rakocinski, Bruce H. Comyns, Mark S. Peterson, Alan M. Shiller

Faculty Publications

The value of using otolith chemistry to characterize recruitment in terms of natal source regions depends on how consistently spatio-temporal variation can be resolved. The objective of this study was to compare regional classification patterns in the otolith chemistry of juvenile Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) between two years experiencing disparate hydrological regimes, and separated by a five year interlude. Spatial patterns in the whole-otolith chemistry of juveniles of this estuarine-dependent species were compared between years using five otolith elements and two stable isotopes. Consistent size-related trends in uptake and deposition were evidenced by parallel ontogenetic relationships for six otolith variables. …