Mugil cephalus stock identification in two protected wetlands of the Valencian Community, Spain

CALLICÓ FORTUNATO, ROBERTA; BENEDITO DURA, VICENT; VOLPEDO, ALEJANDRA

Congreso; XV European Congress of Ichthyology (ECI XV).; 2015

The Mugilidae family is widely distributed all over the world. In the Mediterranean Sea there are 8 species of mullets. Mugil cephalus is the most cosmopolitan one and has an important economic value in the region. It is a euryhaline species that migrates during some periods of the year from the sea to brackish or freshwater areas. The analysis of otolith morphology, morphometric and chemical composition has been used to identify stocks of important commercial species, and has facilitated the study of movements and migration. Particularly, the simultaneous use of Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca otolith ratios is used by several authors for stock and migration studies. This research proposes the identification of Mugil cephalus stocks in two protected wetlands of the Valencian Community (Albufera and Salinas de Santa Pola) using otolith microchemistry. For this, Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca ratios were obtained of 48 sub-adults (25 ? 35 cm total length) from the selected areas. Otoliths were digested to obtain solutions from each individual. Using ICP-OES, Sr, Ba and Ca concentrations were obtained. Significant differences were observed among the ratios studied, having Albufera individuals smaller Sr/Ca and higher Ba/Ca ratios than Salinas de Santa Pola ones. A discriminant analysis separated 87.5% of individuals to the wetland where it was sampled. Results might be suggesting that there are two sub-adult stocks associated with each wetland, consistent with knowledge of ecology of this species.