Meeting Abstract

82-4  Saturday, Jan. 6 08:45 – 09:00  Life history of abyssal and hadal fishes from otolith analyses GERRINGER, ME*; ANDREWS, AH; HUSS, GR; NAGASHIMA, K; POPP, BN; GALLO, ND; CLARK, MR; LINLEY, TD; JAMIESON, AJ; DRAZEN, JC; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu; NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu; Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla; National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand; Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu mackenzie.e.gerringer@gmail.com https://mackenziegerringer.wordpress.com/

Several hadal trenches, depths (6,500–11,000 m), house groups of apparently endemic snailfishes (Liparidae). Little is known about their biology, nor the reasons for their success at hadal depths around the world. We investigated the life history of hadal liparids in comparison to abyssal species (Macrouridae) through otolith analyses. Assuming opaque zones in the otoliths represent annual growth, ages were estimated for the two hadal species to be between 5 and 16 years old. Age estimates for abyssal macrourids ranged from 8 to 29 years for Coryphaenoides armatus and 6 to 16 years old for C. yaquinae. In addition, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O isotopic compositions (δ¹⁸O) were measured across the otolith using an ion microprobe to investigate the thermal history of these fishes. Changes in δ¹⁸O were observed across the otoliths of C. armatus and both hadal liparids, the latter of which may represent a change of over 5°C in habitat temperature through ontogeny. This result was unexpected for the hadal liparids given their isolated environment and large eggs. The biological implications and plausibility of interpretations of these data are discussed. This study presents a first look at the life history of the planet’s deepest-living fishes.