About this Research Topic
The chemistry and morphometry of calcified structures such as otoliths, spines, scales, and bones have been widely used as habitat markers in different environments. Because otolith calcium carbonate accretes continually and is not subsequently resorbed or otherwise altered, core-to-edge chemical times-series for otoliths provide insights to marine and freshwater habitats experienced during the life histories of fish. Other structures such as statoliths, statocysts, etc., have also been used as indicators of habitat use. In particular, non-lethal methods using spines and scales have been employed to evaluate stocks. Although scale and fin spine resorption through life is well documented, chemical stability in the marginal area has been observed, making it a suitable tool for stock identification in several fishes. The objective of this Research Topic is to encourage the use of calcified structures (lethal and non-lethal) to study the biology of aquatic animals, not only bony fish´s otoliths, but also structures of cartilaginous fish, mollusks, cnidarians, corals, foraminifera, crustaceans, etc. The aim is to integrate different analysis methodologies on calcified structures with biological or environmental data, field observations or experimental tests. The optimization and development of new analysis methodologies are also welcome.
Keywords: fish stock, otolith, micro-chemistry, morphology
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