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Marine Ecology Progress Series

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MEPS 436:169-176 (2011)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09235

Elemental uptake via immersion: a mass-marking technique for the early life-history stages of ­cephalopods

Nicholas L. Payne1,3,*, Jayson M. Semmens2, Bronwyn M. Gillanders1

1Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
2Tasmanian Aquaculture & Fisheries Institute, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, Australia
3School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of NSW, New South Wales 2052, Australia

ABSTRACT: Despite the ecological and increasing commercial significance of cephalopods worldwide, little attention has been paid to developing techniques that investigate the movement of early life-history stages. We evaluated the potential of mass-marking giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama hatchlings, via immersion of eggs in water enriched in 137Ba isotope. Eggs were immersed in several 137Ba concentrations, for varying durations, and at different stages of development. Statoliths of hatchlings from each combination of 137Ba concentration (0.3 and 1 µg l–1) and immersion time (2, 5 and 8 d) produced lower mean 138Ba:137Ba values than control hatchlings, and mark success was generally high (70–100% of statoliths were unequivocally marked across all treatments). Development stage was an important factor, with statoliths successfully marked only for eggs immersed in 137Ba at 10 wk of age. These results suggest that marking of statoliths via enriched isotope immersion offers considerable potential for understanding juvenile dispersal and connectivity of cephalopod populations in nature.


KEY WORDS: Enriched isotope · Connectivity · Otolith chemistry · ICP-MS · Cephalopods · Otolith chemistry · Markers · Mn · Otolith · Statolith · Barium


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Cite this article as: Payne NL, Semmens JM, Gillanders BM (2011) Elemental uptake via immersion: a mass-marking technique for the early life-history stages of ­cephalopods. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 436:169-176. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09235

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