A technique for detection of larval fish in the digestive tract of predators by otolith marking
M. I. Gómez A B and C. M. Fuentes A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Dirección de Pesca Continental, Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
B Corresponding author. Email: ine_gomez@yahoo.com.ar
Marine and Freshwater Research 68(1) 167-174 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF15201
Submitted: 22 May 2015 Accepted: 15 December 2015 Published: 11 March 2016
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to develop a method to unequivocally detect pre-flexion fish larvae in the digestive tracts of fish predators, even several hours after their ingestion. For this purpose, we evaluated larval mortality and the quality of the marks generated in sagitta otoliths after 0.5- or 2-h immersion in 50–800 mg L–1 alizarin red S stain. The optimal condition (2 h, 200 mg L–1) was chosen to stain Prochilodus lineatus larvae, which were offered to single predators at 5 or 12 days after marking (DAM). The otoliths were searched in the digestive tract of predators killed 1–17 h after ingestion of the prey, and were then examined for mark presence. Otolith recovery rates were high (>70%) and mark detection was above 80% up to 3 h after ingestion, but even after 9 h, 20–40% of the otoliths were recovered, with mark detection levels of 65%. A higher number of DAM was associated with a higher success in otolith recovery and mark detection. Otolith marking constitutes a single and inexpensive technique that could be applied in both laboratory and field experimental studies of predator–prey interactions.
Additional keywords: alizarin red S, fish larvae, predation, Prochilodus lineatus.
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