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Scale microchemistry as a tool to investigate the origin of wild and farmed Salmo salar

Scale microchemistry as a tool to investigate the origin of wild and farmed Salmo salar
Scale microchemistry as a tool to investigate the origin of wild and farmed Salmo salar
Atlantic salmon Salmo salar are extensively farmed throughout their natural range, and
unintentional interactions between farmed fish and wild populations have been implicated in the
decline of wild salmon. The trace element composition of salmon scales distinguishes wild from
farmed fish, and potentially provides a rapid and cheap method to assess the extent of escaped
farmed fish within a wild population. Scale samples from wild and farmed fish from sites throughout
Scotland were analysed for a large number of trace elements using inductively coupled plasma mass
spectrometry (ICP-MS). Discriminant function analysis of the resulting data classified wild and
farmed fish with 98% accuracy. Mn is identified as the element contributing most to the dissimilarity
between wild and farmed fish, with scales from farmed fish yielding significantly higher concentrations
of Mn. Scale chemistry also differed between farms. 87% of samples taken from six farm sites
around the west coast of Scotland were correctly classified to their farm of origin. Scale chemistry
provides a powerful tool to determine the origin of S. salar, despite the potential for post-depositional
change in elemental concentrations of scale bioapatite.
Fish, Microchemistry, Trace element, Food forensics, Origin, Ecology, Aquaculture
0171-8630
225-235
Adey, E.A.
44aa6385-2c14-4c9e-a12c-5f2b0c7733fc
Black, K.D.
3a69d159-981e-413e-aad7-831a39168771
Sawyer, T.
5bde7e91-ed1e-46e3-9322-1f40a6276d8b
Shimmield, T.M.
164e1a12-4e1a-41c6-8a88-755ee79066a5
Trueman, C.N.
d00d3bd6-a47b-4d47-89ae-841c3d506205
Adey, E.A.
44aa6385-2c14-4c9e-a12c-5f2b0c7733fc
Black, K.D.
3a69d159-981e-413e-aad7-831a39168771
Sawyer, T.
5bde7e91-ed1e-46e3-9322-1f40a6276d8b
Shimmield, T.M.
164e1a12-4e1a-41c6-8a88-755ee79066a5
Trueman, C.N.
d00d3bd6-a47b-4d47-89ae-841c3d506205

Adey, E.A., Black, K.D., Sawyer, T., Shimmield, T.M. and Trueman, C.N. (2009) Scale microchemistry as a tool to investigate the origin of wild and farmed Salmo salar. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 390, 225-235. (doi:10.3354/meps08161).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Atlantic salmon Salmo salar are extensively farmed throughout their natural range, and
unintentional interactions between farmed fish and wild populations have been implicated in the
decline of wild salmon. The trace element composition of salmon scales distinguishes wild from
farmed fish, and potentially provides a rapid and cheap method to assess the extent of escaped
farmed fish within a wild population. Scale samples from wild and farmed fish from sites throughout
Scotland were analysed for a large number of trace elements using inductively coupled plasma mass
spectrometry (ICP-MS). Discriminant function analysis of the resulting data classified wild and
farmed fish with 98% accuracy. Mn is identified as the element contributing most to the dissimilarity
between wild and farmed fish, with scales from farmed fish yielding significantly higher concentrations
of Mn. Scale chemistry also differed between farms. 87% of samples taken from six farm sites
around the west coast of Scotland were correctly classified to their farm of origin. Scale chemistry
provides a powerful tool to determine the origin of S. salar, despite the potential for post-depositional
change in elemental concentrations of scale bioapatite.

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More information

Published date: 18 September 2009
Keywords: Fish, Microchemistry, Trace element, Food forensics, Origin, Ecology, Aquaculture

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 68799
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/68799
ISSN: 0171-8630
PURE UUID: ea99dcbb-d3bd-4e83-aa02-621b05fab2a0
ORCID for C.N. Trueman: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4995-736X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 01 Oct 2009
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:48

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Contributors

Author: E.A. Adey
Author: K.D. Black
Author: T. Sawyer
Author: T.M. Shimmield
Author: C.N. Trueman ORCID iD

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