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Assessing the Potential of Otolith Chemistry for Determining Recruitment Sources of Golden Perch (Macquaria ambigua) in Inland Rivers

David Crook ^a, Bronwyn Gillanders ^b and Andrew Sanger ^c

^a Arthur Rylah Institute, Heidelberg, Vic, Australia, 3084.
^b University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5005.
^c NSW Fisheries, Albury, NSW, Australia, 2640.
Email: David.Crook@nre.vic.gov.au

Golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) are widely distributed in south- eastern Australia, with natural populations occurring throughout the Murray-Darling Basin, in the Lake Eyre and Bulloo River catchments, and in the Fitzroy River drainage on the central coast of Queensland. Studies of the movements of this species have shown that individuals are capable of moving large distances, and it has been suggested that adult golden perch undertake migrations to specific regions to spawn. Although studies of golden perch genetics have shown that there is some large-scale differentiation amongst populations, the existence of specific recruitment regions and the level of exchange of individuals between recruitment sources are currently unknown. In this presentation, the potential of an otolith chemical technique (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) for determining the recruitment sources of golden perch will be assessed. Spatial variation in the chemical composition of otoliths will be examined at large scales (between river basins) and at smaller scales (between sites within a river basin). Temporal variation in otolith chemistry will also be examined by comparing samples from the same sites in different years. The results of the study will be discussed in relation to the potential use of otolith chemical techniques for examining recruitment sources and dispersal patterns of fish in inland rivers.

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