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Ocean acidification affects somatic and otolith growth relationship in fish: evidence from an in situ study.

ABSTRACT: Ocean acidification (OA) may have varied effects on fish eco-physiological responses. Most OA studies have been carried out in laboratory conditions without considering the in situ pCO2/pH variability documented for many marine coastal ecosystems. Using a standard otolith ageing technique, we assessed how in situ ocean acidification (ambient, versus end-of-century CO2 levels) can affect somatic and otolith growth, and their relationship in a coastal fish. Somatic and otolith growth rates of juveniles of the ocellated wrasse Symphodus ocellatus living off a Mediterranean CO2 seep increased at the high- pCO2 site. Also, we detected that slower-growing individuals living at ambient pCO2 levels tend to have larger otoliths at the same somatic length (i.e. higher relative size of otoliths to fish body length) than faster-growing conspecifics living under high pCO2 conditions, with this being attributable to the so-called 'growth effect'. Our findings suggest the possibility of contrasting OA effects on fish fitness, with higher somatic growth rate and possibly higher survival associated with smaller relative size of otoliths that could impair fish auditory and vestibular sensitivity.

SUBMITTER: Di Franco A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6405470 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Ocean acidification affects somatic and otolith growth relationship in fish: evidence from an in situ study.

Di Franco Antonio A Calò Antonio A Sdiri Khalil K Cattano Carlo C Milazzo Marco M Guidetti Paolo P

Biology letters 20190201 2

Ocean acidification (OA) may have varied effects on fish eco-physiological responses. Most OA studies have been carried out in laboratory conditions without considering the in situ pCO<sub>2</sub>/pH variability documented for many marine coastal ecosystems. Using a standard otolith ageing technique, we assessed how in situ ocean acidification (ambient, versus end-of-century CO<sub>2</sub> levels) can affect somatic and otolith growth, and their relationship in a coastal fish. Somatic and otolit ...[more]

PMID: 30958127

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Project description:Ocean acidification, the ongoing decline of surface ocean pH and [CO 32- ] due to absorption of surplus atmospheric CO2, has far-reaching consequences for marine biota, especially calcifiers. Among these are teleost fishes, which internally calcify otoliths, critical elements of the inner ear and vestibular system. There is evidence in the literature that ocean acidification increases otolith size and alters shape, perhaps impacting otic mechanics and thus sensory perception. Here, larval Clark's anemonefish, Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett, 1830), were reared in various seawater pCO2/pH treatments analogous to future ocean scenarios. At the onset of metamorphosis, all otoliths were removed from each individual fish and analyzed for treatment effects on morphometrics including area, perimeter, and circularity; scanning electron microscopy was used to screen for evidence of treatment effects on lateral development, surface roughness, and vaterite replacement. The results corroborate those of other experiments with other taxa that observed otolith growth with elevated pCO2, and provide evidence that lateral development and surface roughness increased as well. Both sagittae exhibited increasing area, perimeter, lateral development, and roughness; left lapilli exhibited increasing area and perimeter while right lapilli exhibited increasing lateral development and roughness; and left asterisci exhibited increasing perimeter, roughness, and ellipticity with increasing pCO2. Right lapilli and left asterisci were only impacted by the most extreme pCO2 treatment, suggesting they are resilient to any conditions short of aragonite undersaturation, while all other impacted otoliths responded to lower concentrations. Finally, fish settlement competency at 10 dph was dramatically reduced, and fish standard length marginally reduced with increasing pCO2. Increasing abnormality and asymmetry of otoliths may impact inner ear function by altering otolith-maculae interactions.

Dataset Information

Ocean acidification affects somatic and otolith growth relationship in fish: evidence from an in situ study.

Publications

Ocean acidification affects somatic and otolith growth relationship in fish: evidence from an in situ study.

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