ABSTRACT

The use of calcifi ed structures of fi sh (fi n rays, scales, otoliths) to retrieve movements and migration is based on two major hypotheses. The fi rst hypothesis is that calcifi ed structures grow continuously throughout the life of the fi sh and hence record the entire life chronology. The second hypothesis is that the chemical composition of the calcifi ed structure refl ects the chemical composition of the ambient water. In this chapter, the case study of otoliths will be treated as priority, and some aspects on the use of fi n rays, fi n spines, vertebrae and scales will be discussed in a later chapter.