Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4397309 | Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology | 2008 | 7 Pages |
Separate laboratory experiments were conducted to examine if incorporation of Zn into the otoliths of juvenile pink snapper (Pagrus auratus Forster) was related to levels in the food and/or water. In the first experiment, fish were fed a regular diet (600 mg Zn kg− 1 dw, control group) or a Zn-enriched diet (6000 mg Zn kg− 1 dw or 9000 mg Zn kg− 1 dw) for 35 days. In the second experiment, fish were exposed to waterborne Zn concentrations of < 0.005 µg L− 1 (control), 50 µg L− 1, 100 µg L− 1 and 200 µg L− 1 for 35 days. The sagittal otoliths were analysed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Juvenile fish exposed to higher concentrations of waterborne Zn did not display increased Zn levels in their otoliths. However, Zn levels in the otoliths of fish consuming the Zn-enriched diet were significantly higher relative to control fish. This study clearly demonstrated that dietary Zn was the major source of Zn incorporated into the otoliths by this marine fish.