Trace elemental fingerprinting of gastropod statoliths to study larval dispersal trajectories

Abstract

Larval statoliths of the temperate neogastropod Concholepas concholepas (Bruguière, 1789) appear to have great utility for reconstructing larval dispersal history. Hatching marks on the statoliths seem to demarcate the natal core of recent recruits. Analysis of individual larval statoliths by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) indicates detectable levels of multiple trace elements. Differences in Ba/Ca, Zn/Ca, and Pb/Ca in the larval core of C. concholepas statoliths from 3 geographically separated sites in Chile suggest these mineralized hard parts could function as natural tags of natal origin and hence be useful in ecological studies of larval dispersal pathways.