Migratory life history of European eel Anguilla anguilla from freshwater regions of the River Asi, southern Turkey and their high otolith Sr:Ca ratios

Lin Y. -., Yalcin-Ozdilek S., Iizuka Y., Gumus A., Tzeng W. -.

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, vol.78, no.3, pp.860-868, 2011 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 78 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2011
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.02903.x
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.860-868
  • Keywords: freshwater residence, life-history types, water chemistry, JAPANESE EEL, HABITAT USE, TEMPERATURE, STRONTIUM, CHEMISTRY, SALINITY, MOVEMENTS, JAPONICA, MARKERS, L.
  • Ondokuz Mayıs University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Otolith Sr:Ca ratios from 32 of 34 European eel Anguilla anguilla collected from three freshwater sites in the River Asi, southern Turkey, indicated that they were resident in fresh water without apparent exposure to salt water since the elver stage. The Sr:Ca ratio criterion indicative of residence in fresh water was more than twice that of values from other European countries. Otolith Sr:Ca ratios of A. anguilla from fresh waters can vary among regions, possibly reflecting regional-specific water chemistry. Hence, the use of Sr:Ca ratios determined in one region to interpret results from a different region might lead to misclassification of migratory life-history types.