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Article: Does eel metamorphosis cause a breakdown in the tenets of otolith applications? A case study using the speckled worm eel (Myrophis punctatus, Ophichthidae).
- Article from:
- Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
- Article date:
- July 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 NRC Research Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Abstract: Several basic tenets of otolith research have been questioned recently with regard to eel metamorphosis. Specifically, some researchers have suggested that otolith increment formation is not daily, and otolith material may be resorped during metamorphosis. We conducted a rearing experiment to test the hypothesis that increment formation is daily and that the otolith continues to grow during eel metamorphosis. We marked the otoliths of wild-caught Myrophis punctatus leptocephali and reared these fish through metamorphosis. Metamorphosis was characterized by a decreasing standard length, pre-anal length, and body depth accompanied by an increase in pigmentation and ...