title: Morphology and microchemistry of the otoliths of the inner ear of anuran larvae.
abstract: To navigate in space most vertebrates need precise positional cues provided by a variety of sensors, including structures in the inner ear, which are exquisitely sensitive to gravity and linear acceleration. Although these structures have been described in many vertebrates, no information is available for anuran larvae. The purpose of our study was to describe, for the first time, the size, complexity and microchemistry of the saccular otoliths of the larva of 13 anuran species from central Argentina, using electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy (N = 65). We concluded that a) these structures differ in area, perimeter, otolith relative size and fractal dimension, but are similar in terms of their microchemistry when compared by spatial guilds, b) that nektonic species have larger otoliths than nektonic-benthic and benthic species and c) that benthic species have larger otolith relative size than nektonic-benthic and nektonic species.
authors.affiliation: Ecotoxicology Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, National University of the Litoral (ESS-FBCB-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina. Electronic address: bassoagustin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bassó
authors.affiliation: Ecotoxicology Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, National University of the Litoral (ESS-FBCB-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina; National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Paola Mariela
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Peltzer
authors.affiliation: Ecotoxicology Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, National University of the Litoral (ESS-FBCB-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina; National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Rafael Carlos
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lajmanovich
authors.affiliation: Ecotoxicology Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, National University of the Litoral (ESS-FBCB-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina; National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Andrés Maximiliano
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Attademo
authors.affiliation: Ecotoxicology Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, National University of the Litoral (ESS-FBCB-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina; National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Celina María
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Junges
authors.affiliation: National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Dante R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Chialvo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000502:physiology*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology*; D008832:Microchemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity