title: Vertical habitat shift of viviparous and oviparous deep-sea cusk eels revealed by otolith microstructure and stable-isotope composition.
abstract: Otolith stable-oxygen-isotope composition and microstructure were analysed in order to investigate the vertical habitat shift of deep-sea cusk eels (Ophidiiformes). Otolith δ18O profiles suggested that both viviparous blind cusk eels and oviparous cusk eels experienced a pelagic larval stage and then settled to the deep-sea floor over a vertical distance that ranged among individuals from 200 to >1000 m. This result shows that the larvae of viviparous Barathronus maculatus undertake an ontogenetic vertical migration after a period of larval drift that may facilitate their wide distribution on the sea floor.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Museum of Marine Science and Technology, No. 367, Pei-Ning Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Keelung City, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Shiao
keywords: Barathronus maculatus; Ophidiidae; ontogenetic vertical migration; oxygen isotope; vertical distribution