Trace elements in otoliths of the two-banded bream from a coastal region in the south-west Mediterranean: are there differences among locations?

Abstract

There were no significant differences in otolith chemistry (Li, Mn, Sr, Cd, Ba) of Diplodus vulgaris between sites (distances >100 m) and few differences among locations (distance >10 km) along the south-west coast of Spain. Multivariate analysis of otolith chemistry detected a difference among locations, but a posteriori comparisons could not detect which locations differed. This is one of the few studies to show little variation in otolith chemistry among locations. Of the studies reviewed, <10% showed non-significant differences. It is suggested that the region of the Mediterranean where this study was conducted may be relatively homogeneous in comparison to estuarine and coastal regions where many of the other studies have been conducted.