New Insights into Ancient Fish: Isotopes and Trace Elements Reveal White Sturgeon Life History Strategies Jamie Sweeney, Malte Willmes, Kirsten Sellheim, & Joseph Merz Email: [email protected] AFS & TWS Joint Conference Reno, NV - October 3, 2019
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New Insights into Ancient Fish: Isotopes and Trace Elements Reveal
White Sturgeon Life History StrategiesJamie Sweeney, Malte Willmes, Kirsten Sellheim, & Joseph Merz
Email: [email protected]
AFS & TWS Joint Conference
Reno, NV - October 3, 2019
White Sturgeon
© http://fieldguide.mt.gov
Western
Hemisphere
Range
▪ Vulnerable to over exploitation
▪ Limited life history information
▪ Better understanding = improved
population management
Why should we
care?
Image credit: NOAA Fisheries – Acoustic Telemetry
Image credit: Jasmine Shen – DWR Fyke trap
Image credit: Zac Jackson/Laura Hieronimus - USFWS egg mat
surveys
Monitoring Efforts
Hobson et al. 2010
▪ Useful tool to understand migratory patterns
▪ Some calcified structures in fish can incorporate
strontium signatures from the water they inhabit as
they grow
▪ Microchemistry is often used to reconstruct migratory
patterns of salmon using their otoliths (ear bones)
Graphic credit: Chris Donahoe
Adult (Ocean)
Juvenile
(fresh water)
Yolk Sac
(maternal)
Laser Ablation
transect
Microchemistry
Fin rays are calcified structures and collection is non-lethal
Cross-sectioned
adult fin ray
Microchemistry
Explore life history
strategies of CA adult
populations using fin
ray microchemistry
1. 2. Determine how early fin
rays develop and begin
recording life history
information
Study Objectives
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
▪116 wild fin rays
collected between
2012 - 2016
CA
San Francisco Estuary
San Joaquin River
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
Sample Processing and analysis:
Fin ray
removal
▪116 wild fin rays
collected between
2012 - 2016
CA
San Francisco Estuary
San Joaquin River
Sample Processing and analysis:
Fin ray
removal
Sectioned Fin Ray:
RED line marks laser
ablation transect and
age markers
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
▪116 wild fin rays
collected between
2012 - 2016
CA
San Francisco Estuary
San Joaquin River
Sample Processing and analysis:
Fin ray
removal
Sectioned Fin Ray:
RED line marks laser
ablation transect and
age markers
Interdisciplinary Center for
Plasma Mass Spectrometry
Laser ablation to
analyze strontium
ratios
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
▪116 wild fin rays
collected between
2012 - 2016
CA
San Francisco Estuary
San Joaquin River
Life History Diversity
Distance from core to edge of fin ray
87S
r/86S
r
Freshwater
Low Salinity
Polysaline
High Salinity
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
Several years in low salinity, followed by
migration into high salinity after Year 7
Early migration into high salinity, return
to freshwater/low salinity after Year 3
Life History Diversity
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
Primarily low salinity/fresh water
Primarily high salinity
Life History Diversity
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
San Joaquin Sturgeon
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
Acoustic telemetry detections in San Joaquin River
Age 0 – 5 Habitat Use
High Salinity
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
Age 0 – 5 Habitat Use
High Salinity
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
▪ When do fin rays begin to calcify?
▪ How early can fin rays uptake trace
elements from their environment?
▪ 20 fish collected bi-
weekly from 12 days post
hatch (dph) to 76 dph
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
No Calcification Start of Calcification Calcification
Fish TL :
24 mm
Measured
calcification
length
Extent
possible
calcification
length
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
Fish TL :
27 mmFish TL :
35 mm
▪When do fin rays begin to calcify?
(Clear and Stain - left pectoral fins)
No Calcification Start of Calcification Calcification
Fish TL :
24 mm
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
Fish TL :
27 mmFish TL :
35 mm
Measured
calcification
length
Extent
possible
calcification
length
▪When do fin rays begin to calcify?
(Clear and Stain - left pectoral fins)
No Calcification Start of Calcification Calcification
Fish TL :
24 mm
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
Fish TL :
27 mmFish TL :
35 mm
Measured
calcification
length
Extent
possible
calcification
length
▪When do fin rays begin to calcify?
(Clear and Stain - left pectoral fins)
No Calcification Start of Calcification Calcification
Fish TL :
24 mm
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
Fish TL :
27 mmFish TL :
35 mm
Measured
calcification
length
Extent
possible
calcification
length
▪When do fin rays begin to calcify?
(Clear and Stain - left pectoral fins)
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
AGE (dph)
TL (mm)
≥ 95% calcified by ≥ 72 dph
50% calcified by 32 dph
≥ 95% calcified by ≥ 70 mm
50% calcified by 39 mm
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
AGE (dph)
TL (mm)
≥ 95% calcified by ≥ 72 dph
50% calcified by 32 dph
≥ 95% calcified by ≥ 70 mm
50% calcified by 39 mm
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
▪When do fin rays begin to calcify?
(Laser Ablation - right pectoral fins)
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
No fin ray calcium detected in fish ≤ 28 mm TL or ≤ 26 dph
43C
aco
nc
en
trati
on
s (
CP
S)
Distance across each fin ray (µm)
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
Fin ray calcium detected in fish as early as 30 mm TL and 30 dph
Distance across each fin ray (µm)43C
aco
nc
en
trati
on
s (
CP
S)
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
Calcium detections in fish between 48 mm - 112 mm (44 - 76 dph)
Distance across each fin ray (µm)43C
aco
nc
en
trati
on
s (
CP
S)
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
▪How early can fin rays uptake trace elements from
their environment?
Trace element concentrations in fin rays compared to water
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
Sr
Ba
Mg
Ele
me
nt
Co
nc
en
tra
tio
ns (
pp
m)
Fin ray Water
Trace element concentrations in fin rays compared to water
2. Early Fin Ray
Development
Sr
Ba
Mg
Ele
me
nt
Co
nc
en
tra
tio
ns (
pp
m)
Fin ray Water
U
Pb
Summary
▪ Diverse adult life history strategies
▪ No detectable calcification before 30 days (30 mm)
▪ Juvenile fin rays incorporate trace elements
▪ Increase adult sample size
▪Explore Oxygen Isotopes
▪Environmental effects on
development and life
history strategies
Future Directions
UC Davis
• CABA Research Facility
• Fangue lab - Nann Fangue, Dennis Cocherell,
Sarah Baird, Fangue Lab staff
• Joseph J. Cech
• Todgeham lab - Todgeham lab staff
• ICPMS lab(s) – Justin Glessner, Howie Spero
• Hobbs lab – Jim Hobbs, Levi Lewis
• Wainwright lab – Peter Wainwright, Max Rupp
UC Santa Cruz/Cornell University
• Liam Zarri
U.S Fish and Wildlife Services
• Paul Cadrett, Laura Heironimus, Zac
Jackson and USFWS field crew
Cramer Fish Sciences
• Katie Karpenko, Tyler Goodearly, Jasmine Shen
University of Idaho
• Shannon Blackburn, Michael Quist
Acknowledgements
Questions?
© Art - Lance Marshall Boen
Life History Diversity Patterns
1. Fin Ray
Microchemistry
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