Otolith microchemical evidence revealing multiple spawning site origination of the anadromous tapertail anchovy (Coilia nasus) in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary
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Abstract: The estuarine tapertail anchovy (Coilia nasus) is a high-value commercial fish. Estimating the spawning site or hatchery origin and habitat is essential for its conservation. This study aimed to determine the habitat use and life history characteristics of C. nasus from the Changjiang River Estuary. We investigated the environmental signatures of strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) in the otoliths of the collected specimens using electron probe microanalysis; additionally, we examined their gonadal maturity stage. Our results indicate that the 31 adult C. nasus specimens used in this study could be classified into two types based on their otolith Sr:Ca concentration ratios and their gonadal maturity stage. The long freshwater early life history type (Type LF) had wider central region in the otolith with low Sr:Ca concentration ratios ranging from 1.24±0.62 to 1.92±0.78 and a bluish pattern of low Sr content level. These fish are of riverine origin and had a relatively long early life history in freshwater and low gonadal maturation when captured. The short freshwater early life history type (Type SF) had a shorter central region in the otolith with low Sr:Ca concentration ratios ranging from 1.35±0.5 to 2.82±0.97 and a correspondingly bluish pattern. These fish also had a relatively short-term early life history in freshwater and high gonadal maturation when captured. The results of the otolith microchemical analysis indicated that Type LF and Type SF originated in spawning/hatching sites far from and close to the estuary, respectively. The mature gonads of Type SF fish indicated that they may breed in areas close to the estuary, whereas the immature gonads of Type LF fish indicated that they may breed in areas far from the estuary. This study is the first to reveal that the Changjiang River Estuary contains stocks of anadromous C. nasus originating in different spawning sites during the same season. The estuarine habitat plays a critical role in the connectivity between freshwater recruitment and the marine resources available to adult spawners of this commercially valued species. From a conservation perspective, this study provides important information for identifying anadromous C. nasus stocks originating in different spawning sites in the Changjiang River Basin.
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Key words:
- Coilia nasus /
- otolith /
- migration /
- connectivity /
- spawning site
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Figure 2. Fluctuation (grey line) and shift (black line) of the otolith Sr:Ca concentration ratios along line transects from the core (0 μm) to the edge of the sagittal plane of Type LF Coilia nasus, which bred far from the Changjiang River Estuary. The position of the vertical dashed lines represents the annulus.
Figure 3. Fluctuation (grey line) and shift (black line) of the otolith Sr:Ca concentration ratios along the line transects from the core (0 μm) to the edge of the sagittal plane of Type SF Coilia nasus, which bred close to the Changjiang River Estuary. The position of the vertical dashed lines represents the annulus.
Figure 6. Diagrammatic model of Coilia nasus migration from the Changjiang River Estuary based on Sr:Ca concentration ratio analyses. The lines with the arrows represent possible dispersion patterns. Type LF: the long freshwater early life history type; Type SF: the short freshwater early life history type.
Table 1. The proportions of Coilia nasus specimens collected from the waters of the Changjiang River Estuary, throughout their freshwater life history
Type Individual
codeTotal length/
mmBody
weight/gSupermaxilla:Head
length ratioSex Agea Gonadal maturity
stageLfb/μm LTc/μm FCd Type LF 17CMCN08 387 140.00 1.09 ♂ 2+ II 910 2 290 0.40 17CMCN12 314 98.11 1.12 ♀ 2+ II 550 1 770 0.31 17CMCN13 309 104.01 1.24 ♀ 2+ II 1 100 2 310 0.48 17CMCN14 310 94.61 1.30 ♂ 2+ II 980 2 020 0.49 17CMCN15 317 103.62 1.26 ♂ 2+ II 980 2 100 0.47 17CMCN16 300 97.79 1.20 ♀ 2+ II 910 2 100 0.43 17CMCN17 322 115.69 1.18 ♂ 2+ II 660 2 160 0.31 17CMCN18 320 116.83 1.13 ♀ 2+ II 970 2 100 0.46 17CMCN19 294 94.36 1.21 ♂ 2+ II 690 1 960 0.35 17CMCN20 315 107.69 1.16 ♀ 3 II 510 1 830 0.28 17CMCN21 310 99.81 1.16 ♀ 2+ II 1 130 2 190 0.52 17TJSCN03 323 111.89 1.15 ♀ 2+ III 920 2 390 0.38 17TJSCN06 275 67.44 1.13 ♂ 2 III 890 1 920 0.46 17TJSCN08 333 155.13 1.22 ♂ 2+ II 1 690 2 270 0.74 Type SF 17CMCN01 325 115.81 1.24 ♀ 2+ IV 220 2 320 0.09 17CMCN02 230 31.48 1.29 ♂ 2+ V 290 1 860 0.16 17CMCN03 306 100.01 1.27 ♀ 2+ IV 480 2 250 0.21 17CMCN04 281 71.55 1.12 ♀ 2+ IV 650 1 950 0.33 17CMCN05 302 70.71 1.31 ♂ 2+ IV 660 2 270 0.29 17CMCN06 305 93.59 1.16 ♂ 2+ IV 440 2 080 0.21 17CMCN10 333 126.22 1.17 ♀ 2+ IV 270 1 930 0.14 17CMCN11 312 123.67 1.20 ♂ 2+ IV 670 1 990 0.37 17TJSCN01 322 148.16 1.14 ♀ 3+ IV 200 2 200 0.09 17TJSCN02 305 98.13 1.23 ♀ 2+ IV 200 2 370 0.08 17TJSCN04 278 72.32 1.22 ♂ 2 IV 270 2 120 0.13 17TJSCN05 295 89.19 1.35 ♀ 2+ IV 200 2 060 0.10 17TJSCN09 305 98.28 1.21 ♂ 2 IV 370 1 940 0.19 17TJSCN10 331 124.57 1.22 ♂ 3+ IV 150 2 350 0.06 17CMCN07 293 74.21 1.17 ♀ 2+ IV 0 2 160 0 17CMCN09 331 109.87 1.19 ♀ 3+ V 0 2 120 0 17TJSCN07 276 50.18 1.24 ♀ 2+ IV 0 1 970 0 Note: Type LF: the long freshwater early life history type; Type SF: the short freshwater early life history type. Agea is estimated using the otolith rings; Lf b: the length of the first freshwater stage of the low Sr:Ca concentration ratio line of the otolith microchemical line analysis or the length of the low Sr bluish central regions of the Sr mapping analysis; LTc: the radius of the entire otolith microchemical line analysis measurement line along the line down the longest axis of each otolith from the core; FCd: freshwater coefficient. -
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