Movements of Diadromous Fish in Large Unregulated Tropical Rivers Inferred from Geochemical Tracers
Author
Walther, BD; Dempster, T; Letnic, M; McCulloch, MTDate
2011-04-06Source Title
PLOS ONEPublisher
PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCEUniversity of Melbourne Author/s
Dempster, TimAffiliation
ZoologyMetadata
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Journal ArticleCitations
Walther, B. D., Dempster, T., Letnic, M. & McCulloch, M. T. (2011). Movements of Diadromous Fish in Large Unregulated Tropical Rivers Inferred from Geochemical Tracers. PLOS ONE, 6 (4), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018351.Access Status
Open AccessOpen Access at PMC
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3071836Description
C1 - Journal Articles Refereed
Abstract
Patterns of migration and habitat use in diadromous fishes can be highly variable among individuals. Most investigations into diadromous movement patterns have been restricted to populations in regulated rivers, and little information exists for those in unregulated catchments. We quantified movements of migratory barramundi Lates calcarifer (Bloch) in two large unregulated rivers in northern Australia using both elemental (Sr/Ba) and isotope ((87)Sr/(86)Sr) ratios in aragonitic ear stones, or otoliths. Chemical life history profiles indicated significant individual variation in habitat use, particularly among chemically distinct freshwater habitats within a catchment. A global zoning algorithm was used to quantify distinct changes in chemical signatures across profiles. This algorithm identified between 2 and 6 distinct chemical habitats in individual profiles, indicating variable movement among habitats. Profiles of (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios were notably distinct among individuals, with highly radiogenic values recorded in some otoliths. This variation suggested that fish made full use of habitats across the entire catchment basin. Our results show that unrestricted movement among freshwater habitats is an important component of diadromous life histories for populations in unregulated systems.
Keywords
Freshwater Ecology; Fresh; Ground and Surface Water Flora; Fauna and BiodiversityExport Reference in RIS Format
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