New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
IRON CONTENT OF THE OTOLITHS OF TARAKIHI (TELEOSTEI: CHEILODACTYLIDAE)
R. W. GAULDIE
ADRIENNE NATHAN
Fisheries Research Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries,
P.O. Box 19-062, Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract The otoliths (sagittae) of 1076 tarakihi Cheilodactylus macropterus collected from around the whole of New Zealand during 1968-69 were examined for heavy
metal content by atomic absorption spectrometry. Copper, cadmium, nickel, manganese, and zinc did not occur in significant quantities, but iron was present
in amounts ranging from 0.5 ,ttg to 7.0/ig per otolith. The iron appears to be largely contained in the nucleus of the otolith. Variations in iron content per
otolith indicate three regions where iron content is similar: a northern region (mean 3.39 /tg; a2 = 1.35; n '--¥ 260); a central region (mean 1.92 jug; a2 = 1.32;
n = 741); and a southern region (mean 0.96/jg; a2 = 0.45; n = 75). The significance of this regional variation, in otolith iron to the biology of the fish is
not known, but may be linked by either heredity or environment to subpopulations of the fish.
N.Z. Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 11 (2): 179-91.
Received 27 September 1976; revision received 8 December 1976. Fisheries Research Division Publication 299.
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (637K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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