Nursery areas and connectivity of the adults anadromous catfish (Genidens barbus) revealed by otolith-core microchemistry in the south-western Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

The anadromous catfish, Genidens barbus, is a commercial and vulnerable species from South America. The aims of the present study were to assess whether the nursery areas can be discriminated by using microchemical signatures of lapillus otoliths, to assess the accuracy of classifying fish in relation to natal nursery area and to discuss the possibility of existence of homing behaviour. Thus, the otolith-core chemical signatures (barium (Ba):calcium (Ca), lithium (Li):Ca, magnesium (Mg):Ca, manganese (Mn):Ca, strontium (Sr):Ca, and zinc (Zn):Ca ratios) of adult fish were compared among different estuaries (De La Plata River in Argentina, and Patos Lagoon, Paranaguá Bay and Guanabara Bay in Brazil). PERMANOVA analysis showed significant differences in the multi-element signatures of the otolith core among sampling sites for all cohorts (2002, 2003, 2006 and 2007), indicating that the technique has considerable potential for use in future assessments of population connectivity and nursery areas of G. barbus. Via quadratic discriminant function analysis, fish were classified to natal nursery areas with 80–100% cross-validation classification accuracies. These results suggested that a high level of spatial segregation exists in adult catfish life and homing behaviour could not be ruled out on the basis of our data.

Migration and brackish environment use of Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes: Prochilodontidae) inferred by Sr:Ca ratio transects of otolith

“…For this reason, the Sr:Ca ratio of otolith has been widely used to infer migratory and population aspects of several species (Avigliano, Volpedo, 2016); for example Genidens barbus (Avigliano et al, 2015a(Avigliano et al, ,b, 2016a(Avigliano et al, , 2017b, Odontesthes bonariensis (Valenciennes, 1835) (Avigliano, Volpedo, 2013;Avigliano et al, 2014Avigliano et al, , 2015c, Mugil liza Valenciennes, 1836 7 e170055 [7] (Callicó Fortunato et al, 2017), Lycengraulis grossidens (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) (Mai et al, 2014), Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823) (Albuquerque et al, 2012) and P. lineatus (Avigliano et al, 2016b(Avigliano et al, , 2017a. Particularly in P. lineatus it has been used the otolith microchemistry (Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca and Zn:Ca ratios) as well as otolith and scales morphometry in order to identify different nursery areas (Avigliano et al, 2016b(Avigliano et al, , 2017a.…”

The marine catfish Genidens barbus (Ariidae) fisheries in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil: diagnosis and management suggestions

“…Otolith microchemistry also revealed the existence of different populations of G. barbus along latitudinal gradients, between Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil , Avigliano et al 2017. These findings suggested that the populations of G. barbus, although close to each other, represent different stocks that return to birth sites to complete their life cycle, reproducing in the estuary of origin (Avigliano et al , 2016(Avigliano et al , 2017.…”

White mullet Mugil curema population structure from Mexico and Brazil revealed by otolith chemistry

“…Because the otolith material is continuously deposited and not reabsorbed (Campana, 1999), the core area chemistry corresponds to the early stage of life and is a useful nursery area natural marker (Avigliano et al ., 2016, 2018a; Biolé et al ., 2019; Lattuca et al ., 2020). Otherwise, the outer area composition, which represents the last year of life, is often used as a stock indicator (Avigliano et al ., 2018b; Biolé et al ., 2019; Campana, 2014).…”

“…Because the otolith material is continuously deposited and not reabsorbed (Campana, 1999), the core area chemistry corresponds to the early stage of life and is a useful nursery area natural marker (Avigliano et al, 2016(Avigliano et al, , 2018aBiolé et al, 2019;Lattuca et al, 2020).…”