Pattern of otolith growth in earlier stages of Mugil liza in tropical and temperate regions of Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

FABRÉ, N-N; M FERREIRA DE SOUSA; R. CALLICÓ FORTUNATO; V.DA SILVA BATISTA ; AV. VOLPEDO

penguera, Mallorca

Simposio; 5th International Otolith Symposium 2014 (IOS2014); 2014

ICES-Committe International Otoliths

Fish somatic growth is reflected in otolith growth and check-marks pattern, which are influenced by environmental factors. Increase in otolith size of pre-adult depends on the birth date and growth rate, which are influenced by the environmental factors, such as temperature, salinity and food availability among others, in the nurseries and breeding areas. One of the most important species in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean coast is Mugil liza. The purpose of this study was to analyze marks pattern in earlier stages of M. liza in a tropical region (Mundau Lagoon, 09° 37' 59,8'' S 035° 46,10'' W, Brazil) and a temperate region (Bahía San Blas, 40° 33'S- 62 °11'W, Argentina). Radial distances of pre-annual rings (c.a. rings present before the first sexual maturity) of fish otoliths from both regions (Brazil, N = 380; and Argentina N = 210) were measured. Significant differences between both regions were determined for each of the three pre-annual otoliths rings. These differences could be associated to environmental dissimilarities in both regions during the life the specimens considered.