Elemental concentrations and stable (δ 18O, δ13C) isotopic ratios in otoliths of young-of-the year (YOY) Tautoga onitis (Tautog) captured in nurseries in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia were determined using otolith micro-chemistry. Multi-chemical signatures differed significantly among the distinct nurseries among regions (MANOVA: P < 0.001) and between years (MANOVA: P < 0.001). Classification accuracy for Tautog nurseries among regions ranged from 92% to 96% for each of the two years. Since accurate classification of juvenile Tautog to their nursery sites was achieved, otolith chemistry can potentially be used as a natural habitat tag in assigning adult Tautog to their respective estuarine nurseries, but it is important to consider that the chemical signals may change annually.
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1 June 2012
Spatial and Temporal Variation in Otolith Chemistry for Tautog (Tautoga onitis) along the US Northeast Coast
Ivan Mateo,
Edward G. Durbin,
David A. Bengtson,
Richard Kingsley,
Peter K. Swart,
Daisy Durant
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Northeastern Naturalist
Vol. 19 • No. 2
June 2012
Vol. 19 • No. 2
June 2012