这里,我们使用椎体微化学来研究巴西北部和东北部地区的长鼻刺猬Hypanusguttatus的栖息地使用模式,并评估该物种潜在苗圃的存在。样本是在Maranhão收集的,2008年至2019年之间,北里奥格兰德州和伯南布哥州。Ba:Ca的微量元素浓度,Mg:Ca,通过激光烧蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定椎骨中的Mn:Ca和Sr:Ca。我们使用一步置换ANOVA来评估生命阶段和性别之间的元素:Ca比率的多元素和单元素差异。对于单元素和多元素设置,所有站点之间的元素特征都不同。然而,网站内的生命阶段之间几乎没有差异,除了Maranhão州生命阶段之间的Mn:Ca,伯南布哥州和北里奥格兰德州的Sr:Ca,和Ba:Ca为RioGrandedoNorte。此外,所有不同地点的多元素和单元素分析均具有显著性,突出了不同地点的强烈差异.我们还进行了非度量多维尺度分析,这表明北里奥格兰德州和其他两个地点的样本存在很大差异。通过分析每个样本的生命周期,我们观察到站点内所有元素:Ca比率几乎没有变化。因此,我们认为,长鼻黄貂鱼可能不会显示出广泛的栖息地使用变化,并且在每个区域内都能满足其大部分生命周期。最后,我们没有获得任何地点苗圃的证据,并建议这可能是整个物种分布的模式。未来的研究调查栖息地使用较大标本的样本(圆盘宽度>90厘米,>15年)需要更好地了解所有大小范围内的物种栖息地使用模式。
Here, we use vertebral microchemistry to investigate the habitat use patterns of the longnose stingray Hypanus guttatus in the northern and northeastern regions of Brazil, and to evaluate the existence of potential nurseries of the species. Samples were collected in Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte and Pernambuco states between 2008 and 2019. Trace element concentrations of Ba:Ca, Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca and Sr:Ca in vertebrae were determined through laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We used one-step permutational ANOVAs to evaluate multi and single-element differences in element:Ca ratios among life stages and sexes across and within sites. Element signatures differed among all sites for both single and multi-element settings. However, there were few differences among life stages within sites, except for Mn:Ca between life stages for Maranhão state, and between sexes for Sr:Ca for both Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte, and Ba:Ca for Rio Grande do Norte. Furthermore, all multi and single-element analyses across locations were significant and highlight the strong differences by sites. We also performed a nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis, which demonstrated the strong differences for samples from Rio Grande do Norte and the other two sites. By analysing the lifetime transects of each sample, we observed that there was little variation in all element:Ca ratios within sites. Therefore, we argue that the longnose stingray likely does not display extensive habitat use shifts and fulfils much of its life cycle within each area. Finally, we obtained no evidence of nurseries for any site and suggest this is likely a pattern across the species distribution. Future studies investigating habitat use with samples from larger specimens (disc width > 90 cm, >15 years) are needed to better understand the species habitat use patterns across all size ranges.