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Home > GCR > Vol. 16 > Iss. 1 (2004)

 

Alternate Title

Formation of a Stress-Induced Check Mark on the Otoliths of Juvenile Fishes: Implications for Mesocosm Studies

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Daily otolith increment widths of spot Leiostomus xanthurus and spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus were examined experimentally in field mesocosms for 5 to 7 days in various habitat types. Daily otolith increments were used as a surrogate for daily somatic growth so that growth prior to capture and handling could be examined. For both species, possible effects of habitat types were confounded by an overall decrease in daily increment widths during the experimental period when compared to increment widths prior to capture. Several spotted seatrout inadvertently captured during mesocosm deployment provided a means for assessing if there was a significant mesocosm effect or if capture and handling may have caused the decreased increment widths. These “volunteers” were distinguishable from experimental fish by the occurrence of a check mark on the otoliths of the experimental fish. Because experimental increment widths of “volunteers” were not different from pre-experimental widths, handling rather than caging effects appeared responsible for reduced increment widths. While there appeared to be no “mesocosm” effect, handling stress potentially affected growth longer than the 24 h acclimation period we anticipated. Short-term effects of capture and handling of wild fish for mesocosm use should be explored and accounted for in future studies.

First Page

11

Last Page

17

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