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Elemental signatures of Acanthochromis polyacanthus otoliths from the Great Barrier Reef have significant temporal, spatial, and between-brood variation

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Abstract

We evaluated the spatial and temporal scales over which otolith signatures varied in a reef fish on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) using the non-dispersing damselfish Acanthochromis polyacanthus. We found a robust multi-element separation in otolith signatures from reef clusters in the northern and southern GBR. Variance components indicated that this spatial scale accounted for the majority of the variation in two elemental ratios (Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca) over the 2 years of the study. There was also significant variation in elemental signatures between otoliths collected over two consecutive years, as well as within a season. Individual reefs within clusters were less distinguishable based on otolith chemistry and were probably observed by differences within reefs (among sites and broods within sites). These results indicate that it may be difficult to determine the reef of origin for individual fish using otolith chemistry, while determining natal region seems a realistic goal.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Browne, I. Carlson, S. Burgess, J. Eagle, J. Hughes, A. Abdulla, R. Pears, R. Kelley, and the crew of the M.V. James Cook for assistance in the field. We also thank the staff of the One Tree Island and Lizard Island Research Stations for their assistance and for providing temperature data. Y. Hu provided technical advice and assistance with ICP-MS analyses. Statistical advice was provided by M. Sheaves, B. Gillanders and N. Knott. We thank S. Swearer and several anonymous reviewers for comments on the manuscript. This study was conducted while H.M.P. held a Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowship from the Australian Museum. A CRC Reef Research Grant, a GBRMPA Augmentative Research Grant, and a grant from the Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research from the American Museum of Natural History to H.M.P., as well as an ARC Large Grant, and a grant from the National Geographic Committee for Research & Exploration to M.J.K. provided additional funding.

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  1. Heather M. Patterson

    Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne Vic,  , 3010, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia

    Heather M. Patterson & Michael J. Kingsford

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  1. Heather M. Patterson
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  2. Michael J. Kingsford
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Correspondence to Heather M. Patterson.

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Communicated by Ecological Editor P. Sale

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Patterson, H.M., Kingsford, M.J. Elemental signatures of Acanthochromis polyacanthus otoliths from the Great Barrier Reef have significant temporal, spatial, and between-brood variation. Coral Reefs 24, 360–369 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-005-0012-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-005-0012-6

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