Experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish

Background The application of otolith-based tools to inform the management and conservation of fishes first requires taxon- and stage-specific validation. The Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a critically endangered estuarine fish that is endemic to the upper San Francisco Estuary (SFE), Cali...

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Autores principales:	Wilson Xieu, Levi S. Lewis, Feng Zhao, Rachel A. Fichman, Malte Willmes, Tien-Chieh Hung, Luke Ellison, Troy Stevenson, Galen Tigan, Andrew A. Schultz, James A. Hobbs
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	PeerJ Inc. 2021
Materias:	Otolith Fish Estuarine Freshwater Growth Validation Medicine R
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/900dcf0f54c64784926a646ecf1900ff
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:900dcf0f54c64784926a646ecf1900ff2021-11-19T15:05:05ZExperimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish10.7717/peerj.122802167-8359https://doaj.org/article/900dcf0f54c64784926a646ecf1900ff2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://peerj.com/articles/12280.pdfhttps://peerj.com/articles/12280/https://doaj.org/toc/2167-8359Background The application of otolith-based tools to inform the management and conservation of fishes first requires taxon- and stage-specific validation. The Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a critically endangered estuarine fish that is endemic to the upper San Francisco Estuary (SFE), California, United States, serves as a key indicator species in the SFE; thus, understanding this species’ vital rates and population dynamics is valuable for assessing the overall health of the estuary. Otolith-based tools have been developed and applied across multiple life stages of Delta Smelt to reconstruct age structure, growth, phenology, and migration. However, key methodological assumptions have yet to be validated, thus limiting confidence in otolith-derived metrics that are important for informing major water management decisions in the SFE. Methods Using known-age cultured Delta Smelt and multiple independent otolith analysts, we examined otolith formation, otolith-somatic proportionality, aging accuracy and precision, left-right symmetry, and the effects of image magnification for larval, juvenile, and adult Delta Smelt. Results Overall, otolith size varied linearly with fish size (from 10–60 mm), explaining 99% of the variation in fish length, despite a unique slope for larvae < 10 mm. Otolith-somatic proportionality was similar among wild and cultured specimens. Aging precision among independent analysts was 98% and aging accuracy relative to known ages was 96%, with age estimates exhibiting negligible differences among left and right otoliths. Though error generally increased with age, percent error decreased from 0–30 days-post-hatch, with precision remaining relatively high (≥ 95%) thereafter. Increased magnification (400×) further improved aging accuracy for the oldest, slowest-growing individuals. Together, these results indicate that otolith-based techniques provide reliable age and growth reconstructions for larval, juvenile, and adult Delta Smelt. Such experimental assessments across multiple developmental stages are key steps toward assessing confidence in otolith-derived metrics that are often used to assess the dynamics of wild fish populations.Wilson XieuLevi S. LewisFeng ZhaoRachel A. FichmanMalte WillmesTien-Chieh HungLuke EllisonTroy StevensonGalen TiganAndrew A. SchultzJames A. HobbsPeerJ Inc.articleOtolithFishEstuarineFreshwaterGrowthValidationMedicineRENPeerJ, Vol 9, p e12280 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Otolith Fish Estuarine Freshwater Growth Validation Medicine R
spellingShingle	Otolith Fish Estuarine Freshwater Growth Validation Medicine R Wilson Xieu Levi S. Lewis Feng Zhao Rachel A. Fichman Malte Willmes Tien-Chieh Hung Luke Ellison Troy Stevenson Galen Tigan Andrew A. Schultz James A. Hobbs Experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish
description	Background The application of otolith-based tools to inform the management and conservation of fishes first requires taxon- and stage-specific validation. The Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a critically endangered estuarine fish that is endemic to the upper San Francisco Estuary (SFE), California, United States, serves as a key indicator species in the SFE; thus, understanding this species’ vital rates and population dynamics is valuable for assessing the overall health of the estuary. Otolith-based tools have been developed and applied across multiple life stages of Delta Smelt to reconstruct age structure, growth, phenology, and migration. However, key methodological assumptions have yet to be validated, thus limiting confidence in otolith-derived metrics that are important for informing major water management decisions in the SFE. Methods Using known-age cultured Delta Smelt and multiple independent otolith analysts, we examined otolith formation, otolith-somatic proportionality, aging accuracy and precision, left-right symmetry, and the effects of image magnification for larval, juvenile, and adult Delta Smelt. Results Overall, otolith size varied linearly with fish size (from 10–60 mm), explaining 99% of the variation in fish length, despite a unique slope for larvae < 10 mm. Otolith-somatic proportionality was similar among wild and cultured specimens. Aging precision among independent analysts was 98% and aging accuracy relative to known ages was 96%, with age estimates exhibiting negligible differences among left and right otoliths. Though error generally increased with age, percent error decreased from 0–30 days-post-hatch, with precision remaining relatively high (≥ 95%) thereafter. Increased magnification (400×) further improved aging accuracy for the oldest, slowest-growing individuals. Together, these results indicate that otolith-based techniques provide reliable age and growth reconstructions for larval, juvenile, and adult Delta Smelt. Such experimental assessments across multiple developmental stages are key steps toward assessing confidence in otolith-derived metrics that are often used to assess the dynamics of wild fish populations.
format	article
author	Wilson Xieu Levi S. Lewis Feng Zhao Rachel A. Fichman Malte Willmes Tien-Chieh Hung Luke Ellison Troy Stevenson Galen Tigan Andrew A. Schultz James A. Hobbs
author_facet	Wilson Xieu Levi S. Lewis Feng Zhao Rachel A. Fichman Malte Willmes Tien-Chieh Hung Luke Ellison Troy Stevenson Galen Tigan Andrew A. Schultz James A. Hobbs
author_sort	Wilson Xieu
title	Experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish
title_short	Experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish
title_full	Experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish
title_fullStr	Experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish
title_full_unstemmed	Experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish
title_sort	experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish
publisher	PeerJ Inc.
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/900dcf0f54c64784926a646ecf1900ff
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Experimental validation of otolith-based age and growth reconstructions across multiple life stages of a critically endangered estuarine fish

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