Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Marine and Freshwater Research Marine and Freshwater Research Society
Advances in the aquatic sciences
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > MF > MF04158
REVIEW
Contents Vol 56(5)

Statoliths as ‘black boxes’ (life recorders) in squid

Alexander I. Arkhipkin
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department, PO Box 598, FIPASS, Stanley, FIQQ 1ZZ, Falkland Islands. Email: aarkhipkin@fisheries.gov.fk

Marine and Freshwater Research 56(5) 573-583 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF04158
Submitted: 15 July 2004  Accepted: 10 March 2005   Published: 21 July 2005

Abstract

The present study presents an overview of recent developments in statoliths studies. Statoliths are calcareous structures located in the equilibrium organs of cephalopods, which serve to detect body accelerations during movement in water. They are perfect ‘black boxes’ because they record a lot of information about the lives of squid and cuttlefish. For instance, it is possible to reveal the hatchling size and temperature of embryonic development, estimate age and growth rates of the animal with daily precision, date life transitions, analyse possible migratory routes and population structure of squid using trace element analysis, and even reveal how many spawning events a given animal has had by analysing statolith microstructure. Furthermore, because the paralarval statolith is embedded completely within the adult statolith, its features can be used to identify cephalopod paralarvae, which are sometimes very different from adult animals. The shape of statoliths is physiologically specific, which enables the determination of the movement pattern of the animal. Statoliths are usually one of the few remains of squid in fossil records, and their features can be used to infer ideas about the life styles of extinct species.

Extra keywords: growth increments, growth rates, squid ageing, statolith microstructure.


Acknowledgments

I am grateful to all my friends and colleagues in the Atlantic Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (AtlantNIRO, Kaliningrad, Russia), All-Russian Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO, Moscow, Russia) and Fisheries Department of the Falkland Islands Government (Stanley, Falkland Islands) for their generous help in the collection of squid statoliths in different parts of the world’s oceans, and for their invaluable discussions and comments. I thank Dr Lianos Triantafillos (Fisheries Department, Stanley, Falkland Islands) for his comments and editing the present paper. Some parts of the present study came from my PhD Thesis (Candidate in Biological Sciences), which I defended successfully in the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanography, Moscow in 1989.


References

Arkhipkin, A. I. (1988). Comparative analysis of subannual growth increments in squid statoliths and fish otoliths. Biologicheskie nauki 11, 5–16.[In Russian with English abstract]
Arkhipkin A. I. (1991). Methods for cephalopod age and growth studies with emphasis on statolith ageing techniques. In ‘Squid age determination using statoliths. Proceedings of the International Workshop, Mazara del Vallo, Italy, 9–14 October 1989’. (Eds P. Jereb, S. Ragonese and S. von Boletzky.) pp. 11–17. N.T.R.-I.T.P.P. Special publication No.1, Istituto di Tecnologia della Pesca e del Pescato, Mazara del Vallo.

Arkhipkin, A. I. (1997). Age and growth of the mesopelagic squid Ancistrocheirus lesueurii (Oegopsina: Ancistrocheiridae) from the central-east Atlantic based on statolith microstructure. Marine Biology 129, 103–111.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Arkhipkin A., and Perez J. A. A. (1998). Life history reconstruction. In ‘Squid Recruitment Dynamics. The Genus Illex as a Model, The Commercial Illex Species and Influences on Variability’. (Eds P. G. Rodhouse, E. G. Dawe and R. K. O’Dor.) pp. 157–180. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 376, FAO, Rome.

Arkhipkin, A. I. , Bizikov, V. A. , Krylov, V. V. , and Nesis, K. N. (1996). Distribution, stock structure and growth of the squid Berryteuthis magister Berry, 1913 (Cephalopoda, Gonatidae) during summer and fall in the Western Bering Sea. Fishery Bulletin 94, 1–30.
Caddy J. (1991). Daily rings on squid statoliths: an opportunity to test standard population models? In ‘Squid Age Determination using Statoliths. Proceedings of the International Workshop, Mazara del Vallo, Italy, 9–14 October 1989’. (Eds P. Jereb, S. Ragonese and S. von Boletzky.) pp. 53–66. N.T.R.-I.T.P.P. Special publication No.1, Istituto di Tecnologia della Pesca e del Pescato, Mazara del Vallo.

Campana, S. E. (1999). Chemistry and composition of fish otoliths: pathways, mechanisms and applications. Marine Ecology Progress Series 188, 263–297.
Clarke M. R. (1993). Age determination and common sense – a free discussion on difficulties encountered by the author. In ‘Recent Advances in Cephalopod Fisheries Biology’. (Eds T. Okutani, R. K. O’Dor and T. Kubodera.) pp. 670–678. (Tokai University Press: Tokyo.)

Clarke, M. R. , and Fitch, J. E. (1979). Fossil statoliths of Cenozoic teuthoid Cephalopoda of North America. Palaeontology 22, 479–511.
Clarke M. R., and Maddock L. (1988). Statoliths from living species of cephalopods and evolution. In ‘The Mollusca, Vol. 12. Paleontology and Neontology of Cephalopods’. (Eds M. R. Clarke and E. R. Trueman.) pp. 169–184. (Academic Press: San Diego, CA.)

Dawe E. G., and Natsukari Y. (1991). Light microscopy. In ‘Squid Age Determination using Statoliths. Proceedings of the International Workshop, Mazara del Vallo, Italy, 9–14 October 1989’. (Eds P. Jereb, S. Ragonese and S. von Boletzky.) pp. 83–96. N.T.R.-I.T.P.P. Special publication No.1, Istituto di Tecnologia della Pesca e del Pescato, Mazara del Vallo.

Dawe, E. G. , O’Dor, R. K. , O’Dense, P. H. , and Hurley, G. V. (1985). Validation and application of an ageing technique for short-finned squid (Illex illecebrosus).  Journal of the Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science 6, 107–116.
Hurley G. V., Beck P., Drew J., and Radtke R. L. (1979). Preliminary report on validating age readings from statoliths of the short-finned squid (Illex illecebrosus). ICNAF Res. Doc., No. 79/II/26, Ser. No. 5352, 6 pp. International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Hurley, G. V. , O’Dense, P. , O’Dor, R. K. , and Dawe, E. G. (1985). Strontium labeling for verifying daily growth increments in the statoliths of the short-finned squid (Illex illecebrosus). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 42, 380–383.
Kubodera T., and Okutani T. (1981). The systematics and identification of larval cephalopods from the northern North Pacific. Special Volume, Research Institute of the National faculty of Fisheries, Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University. pp. 131–159.

Landman, N. H. , Cochran, J. K. , Cerrato, R. , Mak, J. , Roper, C. F. E. , and Lu, C. C. (2004). Habitat and age of the giant squid (Architeuthis sanctipauli) inferred from isotopic analyses. Marine Biology 144, 685–691.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Lipinski M. R. (1978). The age of squids, Illex illecebrosus (LeSueur, 1821) from their statoliths. ICNAF Res. Doc., No. 78/II/15, Ser. No. 5167, 4 pp. International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Lipinski M. R. (1980). A preliminary study on age of squids from their statoliths. NAFO SCR Doc. No. 80/II/22, 17 pp. Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Lipinski, M. R. (1986). Methods for the validation of squid age from statoliths. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 66, 505–526.
Lipinski M. R. (1993). The deposition of statoliths: a working hypothesis. In ‘Recent Advances in Cephalopod Fisheries Biology’. (Eds T. Okutani, R. K. O’Dor and T. Kubodera.) pp. 241–262. (Tokai University Press: Tokyo.)

Lipinski, M. R. (2001). Statoliths as archives of cephalopod life cycle: a search for universal rules. Folia Malacologica 9(3), 115–123.
Lipinski M., Dawe E., and Natsukari Y. (1991). Introduction. In ‘Squid Age Determination using Statoliths. Proceedings of the International Workshop, Mazara del Vallo, Italy, 9–14 October 1989’. (Eds P. Jereb, S. Ragonese and S. von Boletzky.) pp. 77–81. N.T.R.-I.T.P.P. Special publication No.1, Istituto di Tecnologia della Pesca e del Pescato, Mazara del Vallo.

Lipinski, M. R. , Durholtz, M. D. , and Underhill, L. G. (1998). Field validation of age readings from the statoliths of chokka squid (Loligo vulgaris reynaudii D’Orbigny, 1845) and an assessment of associated errors. ICES Journal of Marine Science 55, 240–257.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Morris C. C. (1991). Methods for in situ experiments on statolith increment formation, with results for embryos of Alloteuthis subulata. In ‘Squid Age Determination using Statoliths. Proceedings of the International Workshop, Mazara del Vallo, Italy, 9–14 October 1989’. (Eds P. Jereb, S. Ragonese and S. von Boletzky.) pp. 67–72. N.T.R.-I.T.P.P. Special publication No.1, Istituto di Tecnologia della Pesca e del Pescato, Mazara del Vallo.

Morris, C. C. , and Aldrich, F. A. (1985). Statolith length and increment number for age determination in squid Illex illecebrosus (Lesueur, 1821) (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae). NAFO Scientific Council Studies 9, 101–106.
Murata M., and Nakamura Y. (1998). Seasonal migration and diel vertical migration of the neon flying squid, Ommastrephes bartramii in the North Pacific. In ‘Large Pelagic Squid’. (Ed. T. Okutani.) pp. 13–30. (Japan Marine Fishery Resources Research Center: Tokyo.)

Nakamura, Y. , and Sakurai, Y. (1991). Validation of daily growth increments in statoliths of Japanese common squid Todarodes pacificus. Nippon Suisan Gakkai Shi 57, 2007–2011.
Natsukari Y., Mukai H., Nakahama S., and Kubodera T. (1993). Age and growth estimation of a Gonatid squid, Berryteuthis magister, based on statolith microstructure. In ‘Recent Advances in Cephalopod Fisheries Biology’. (Eds T. Okutani, R. K. O’Dor and T. Kubodera.) pp. 351–364. (Tokai University Press: Tokyo.)

Nesis K. N. (1987). ‘Cephalopods of the World.’ (T.F.H. Publications: Neptune, NJ.)

O'Dor R. K. (1983). Illex illecebrosus. In ‘Cephalopod Life Cycles, Vol.1. Species Accounts’. (Ed. P. R. Boyle.) pp. 175–199 (Academic Press: London.)

Radtke, R. L. (1983). Chemical and structural characteristics of statoliths from the short-finned squid Illex illecebrosus. Marine Biology 76, 47–54.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Rodhouse P. G. (1991). Use of putative growth increments in the cephalopod statolith for age determination: a note of caution. In ‘Squid Age Determination using Statoliths. Proceedings of the International Workshop, Mazara del Vallo, Italy, 9–14 October 1989’. (Eds P. Jereb, S. Ragonese and S. von Boletzky.) pp. 73. N.T.R.-I.T.P.P. Special publication No.1, Istituto di Tecnologia della Pesca e del Pescato, Mazara del Vallo.

Rodhouse, P. G. , and Hatfield, E. M. C. (1990). Dynamics of growth and maturation in the cephalopod Illex argentinus de Castellanos, 1960 (Teuthoidea: Ommastrephidae). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 329, 229–241.


Rodhouse, P. G. K. , Robinson, K. , Gajdatsy, S. B. , Daly, H. I. , and Ashmore, M. J. S. (1994). Growth, age structure and environmental history in cephalopod Martialia hyadesi (Teuthoidea: Ommastrephidae) at the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone and on the Patagonian Shelf Edge. Antarctic Science 6, 259–268.


Roeleveld, M. A. C. , and Lipinski, M. R. (1991). The giant squid Architeuthis in southern African waters. Journal of Zoology 224, 431–477.


Rosenberg, A. A. , Wiborg, K. F. , and Beck, I. M. (1980). Growth of Todarodes sagittatus (Lamarck) (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) from the Northwest Atlantic, based on counts of statolith growth rings. Sarsia 66, 53–57.


Shaw, P. W. , Arkhipkin, A. I. , Adcock, G. J. , Burnett, W. J. , Carvalho, G. R. , Scherbich, J. N. , and Villegas, P. A. (2004). DNA markers indicate that distinct spawning cohorts and aggregations of Patagonian squid, Loligo gahi, do not represent genetically discrete subpopulations. Marine Biology 144, 961–970.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Spratt, J. D. (1978). Age and growth of the market squid, Loligo opalescens Berry, in Monterey Bay. Fishery Bulletin of the Department Fish and Game, California 169, 35–44.


Villanueva, R. (2000). Differential increment-deposition rate in embryonic statoliths of the loliginid squid Loligo vulgaris. Marine Biology 137, 161–168.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Villanueva, R. , Arkhipkin, A. , Jereb, P. , Lefkaditou, E. , Lipinski, M. R. , Perales-Raya, C. , Riba, J. , and Rocha, F. (2003). Embryonic life of the loliginid squid Loligo vulgaris: comparison between statoliths of Atlantic and Mediterranean populations. Marine Ecology Progress Series 253, 197–208.


Yang, W. T. , Hixon, R. F. , Turk, P. E. , Krejci, M. E. , Hulet, W. H. , and Hanlon, R. T. (1986). Growth, behavior, and sexual maturation of the market squid, Loligo opalescens, cultured through life cycle. Fishery Bulletin 84, 771–798.