Otolith Elemental Fingerprinting for Stock Identification of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) Using Laser Ablation ICPMS

Trace element incorporation into fish otoliths varies among samples collected at different sites. If otolith elemental composition (the elemental "fingerprint") somehow reflects the characteristics of the ambient water, the elemental fingerprint of the otolith nucleus could serve as a natural marker of fish hatched at different sites. To test this hypothesis, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) otoliths collected from five spawning grounds in the northwest Atlantic were tested for differences in elemental and isotopic composition. Laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICPMS) was used to assay the concentration of 14 isotopes (nine elements) in otolith nuclei. The sensitivity of the laser ablation system exceeded that of the electron microprobe by 2–4 orders of magnitude, with an average CV of 21% for any given isotope. Most isotopic concentrations were consistent between left and right otoliths of a given fish, and most differed significantly among sample sites; there were no significant differences by age, sex, or fish length. Multivariate analyses of the elemental fingerprints resulted in significant discrimination among sample sites. While the mechanism underlying trace element incorporation into otoliths is still unclear, otolith elemental fingerprinting has the potential to become an effective and accurate means of stock identification.