DOI: 10.5061/dryad.8kd35
title: Data from: Unravelling the life history of Amazonian fishes through otolith microchemistry

description: Amazonian fishes employ diverse migratory strategies, but the details of
 these behaviours remain poorly studied despite numerous environmental
 threats and heavy commercial exploitation of many species. Otolith
 microchemistry offers a practical, cost-effective means of studying fish
 life history in such a system. This study employed a multi-method,
 multi-elemental approach to elucidate the migrations of five Amazonian
 fishes: two ‘sedentary’ species (Arapaima sp. and Plagioscion
 squamosissimus), one ‘floodplain migrant’ (Prochilodus nigricans) and two
 long-distance migratory catfishes (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii and B.
 filamentosum). The Sr : Ca and Zn : Ca patterns in Arapaima were
 consistent with its previously observed sedentary life history, whereas
 Sr : Ca and Mn : Ca indicated that Plagioscion may migrate among multiple,
 chemically distinct environments during different life-history stages.
 Mn : Ca was found to be potentially useful as a marker for identifying
 Prochilodus's transition from its nursery habitats into black water.
 Sr : Ca and Ba : Ca suggested that B. rousseauxii resided in the Amazon
 estuary for the first 1.5–2 years of life, shown by the simultaneous
 increase/decrease of otolith Sr : Ca/Ba : Ca, respectively. Our results
 further suggested that B. filamentosum did not enter the estuary during
 its life history. These results introduce what should be a productive line
 of research desperately needed to better understand the migrations of
 these unique and imperilled fishes.
description: Laser
 ablation–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry raw data for
 Amazonian fishesLaser
 ablation–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry raw data
 (background- and drift-corrected) for Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii
 (Ecuador and Colombia), Brachyplatystoma filamentosum (Colombia), and six
 Prochilodus nigricans. Data include Ca, Sr, and Ba for both
 Brachyplatystoma species and localities, and Ca, Ba, and Mn for all six P.
 nigricans.Open_Science_LAICPMS_data.xlsxScanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy raw data for Brachyplatystoma rousseauxiiScanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy raw data (drift-corrected) for Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii (Colombia), including Ca, Se, and Sr. Calculations of Se:Ca × 1000 and Sr:Ca × 1000 are also included.Open_Science_SXFM_B_rousseauxii.xlsxScanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy data for Arapaima sp.Scanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy raw data (drift-corrected) for Arapaima sp., including Ca, Zn, and Sr. Calculations of Zn:Ca × 1000 and Sr:Ca × 1000 are also included.Open_Science_SXFM_Arapaima.xlsxScanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy data for Brachyplatystoma filamentosum (Colombia)Scanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy raw data (drift-corrected) for Brachyplatystoma filamentosum (Colombia), including Ca, Se, and Sr. Calculations of Se:Ca × 1000 and Sr:Ca × 1000 are also included.Open_Science_SXFM_B_filamentosum.xlsxScanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy data for Plagioscion squamosissimusScanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy raw data (drift-corrected) for Plagioscion squamosissimus, including Ca, Mn, and Sr. Calculations of Mn:Ca × 1000 and Sr:Ca × 1000 are also included.Open_Science_SXFM_Plagioscion.xlsx