Polymorphic crystalline structure of fish otoliths

Abstract

Although most otoliths of teleost fishes contain aragonite, a detailed survey of the otoliths of serveral species confirms that other crystalline forms of calcium carbonate occur. Otoliths of Hoplostethus atlanticus, Pagrus major, Macruronus novaezelandiae, Merluccius australis, Congiopodus coriaceus, Kathetostoma giganteum, Argentina elongata, Rhomobosolea tapirina, Neophrynichthys latus, Coelorinchus aspercephalus, Paranothothenia microlepidota, and Gonorhynchus gonorhynchus contained the aragonite, calcite, and vaterite morphs of calcium carbonate in varying proportions. Aragonitic otoliths of Allocyttus niger, Hoplostethus altlanticus, and Pagrus major contained sequences of calcite-like crystals. The surface of the vateritic otolith of Acipenser brevirostrum is shown in detail. Three classes of information are stored in the crystalline structure of the otolith: shape conservation, coexisting crystal morphs, and consecutive changes in crystal morph. Analysis of this crystalline information supports the hypothesis of control of growth of the otolith by proteins from the sensory epithelium or macula. Protein variation involved may be genetic in origin, or non-genetic arising from "stuttering" of the translation process. Proteins extracted from vateric and aragonitic morphs of the otolith of Macruronus novaezelandiae showed differences in infared absorption spectra that were consistent with two different amino acid sequences. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Diversity in Fish Auditory Systems: One of the Riddles of Sensory Biology

“…If the second hypothesis applies-which is the more parsimonious one-the vertical pattern in otophysans and mormyrids may have convergently evolved due to similar selection pressures (Popper and Platt, 1983). The vertical pattern is the constant element in each of the five different orientation patterns on the macula sacculi in teleosts (Popper, 1981), and the vertical pattern is also found in Chondrichthyes, lungfishes, and non-teleost actinopterygians (see above; Popper and Fay, 1977;1993). Accordingly, it may further be assumed that the vertical pattern on the macula sacculi is the basic vertebrate pattern on this sensory epithelium (Mathiesen and Popper, 1987): it did not experience diversification-including the "invention" of true horizontal groups-before the emergence and diversification of the teleosts.…”

“…The otoliths of the utricle and saccule are composed of aragonite, while the lagenar otolith consists of vaterite. Calcite is only rarely found in otoliths (e.g., Gauldie, 1993;Oliveira and Farina, 1996). The simultaneous presence of otoliths and (aragonitic) otoconia in teleosts has been reported for only a few species (Gauldie et al, 1986b).…”

Otolith formation and endolymph chemistry: a strong correlation between the aragonite saturation state and pH in the endolymph of the trout otolith organ

“…Vaterite is also found commonly in the asteriscus, an otolith formed in the lagena (Lowenstam & Weiner 1989). In contrast, calcite has been found only in aberrant otoliths of several fishes (Gauldie 1993). Using the endolymph electrolyte composition obtained in the present study and the thermodynamic solubility products of calcite (K 0 S,c ) and vaterite (K 0 S,v ) reported in Plummer & Busenberg (1982), the supersaturation ratio of the endolymph with respect to calcite (S c ) and vaterite (S v ) can be calculated.…”

Morphological and biochemical analyses of otoliths of the ice‐fish Chionodraco hamatus confirm a common origin with red‐blooded species

“…In these vertebrates they have a complex organization consisting of an organic matrix on which inorganic calcium carbonate is deposited (Henle, 1873), with the consequent formation of complex architectures that are used for systematic purposes. With regard to this, the gross and fine morphology of otoliths has been described in many species (Lewis & Nemanic, 1972;Morales-Nin, 1985;Gauldie, 1993) including the red-blooded Antarctic species Trematomus bernacchii (Avallone et al 2003).…”