Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

Texture Analysis of Polycrystalline Vaterite Spherulites from Lake Sturgeon Otoliths

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [4]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  3. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB (Canada)
  4. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Oshkosh, WI (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Fish otoliths, or ear bones, are comprised of the CaCO3 polymorphs (aragonite, calcite and vaterite), which can occur either alone or in combination. The polymorph phase abundance in an otolith depends on, as yet, unexplained genetic and environmental factors. Most fish otoliths are comprised of the densest CaCO3 polymorph, aragonite. Sturgeon otoliths, on the other hand, contain significant amounts of the rare and the structurally enigmatic polymorph, vaterite. Sturgeon otoliths are frequently comprised of agglomerations of small microcrystalline vaterite spherulites (<300 μm in diameter), that range in shape from nearly perfect spheres to oblate spheroids. These spherulites are similar to the synthetic vaterite microspheres employed in laser trapping applications. Vaterite spherulites from both hatchery-reared (juvenile) and wild (adult) Lake Sturgeon exhibit extreme crystallographic texture as evidenced by X-ray diffraction patterns and their reconstructed pole-figures determined here. The vaterite crystallites making up the spherulites have excellent registry in both the axial and equatorial directions. Whether synthesized or natural, the texture manifested in these spherulites suggests that vaterite nucleates and grows similarly in vivo otolith formation as well as from laboratory synthesis. The uniaxial optical character of the vaterite spherulites, confirmed by these diffraction experiments and combined with their large birefringence, makes them well suited for laser trapping applications.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1511906
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 9; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (22)

Carbonate orientational order and superlattice structure in vaterite journal December 2014
Rietveld texture analysis from synchrotron diffraction images. I. Calibration and basic analysis journal January 2014
Optical alignment and spinning of laser-trapped microscopic particles journal July 1998
Tweezers with a twist journal May 2011
Optical trapping of otoliths drives vestibular behaviours in larval zebrafish journal September 2017
Empirically testing vaterite structural models using neutron diffraction and thermal analysis journal November 2016
Optical trapping and manipulation of neutral particles using lasers journal May 1997
A profile refinement method for nuclear and magnetic structures journal June 1969
Sturgeon and paddlefish (Acipenseridae) sagittal otoliths are composed of the calcium carbonate polymorphs vaterite and calcite: acipenseridae otoliths are vaterite and calcite journal July 2016
Highly birefringent vaterite microspheres: production, characterization and applications for optical micromanipulation journal January 2009
Rietveld texture analysis from diffraction images journal November 2007
Vaterite: Interpretation in terms of OD theory and its next of kin journal July 2016
Rietveld texture analysis from synchrotron diffraction images. I. Calibration and basic analysis journal January 2014
A Review of the Structures of Vaterite: The Impossible, the Possible, and the Likely journal May 2017
Synthesis and Surface Modification of Birefringent Vaterite Microspheres journal October 2009
A profile refinement method for nuclear and magnetic structures journal June 1969
Some basic concepts of texture analysis and comparison of three methods to calculate orientation distributions from pole figures journal August 1988
Management of lake sturgeon on the Winnebago System - long term impacts of harvest and regulations on population structure journal September 1999
Otoliths of sub‐adult Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens contain aragonite and vaterite calcium carbonate polymorphs journal April 2019
Highly birefringent vaterite microspheres: production, characterization and applications for optical micromanipulation journal January 2009
Optical Trapping and Manipulation of Neutral Particles Using Lasers journal January 1999
Structure and carbonate orientation of vaterite (CaCO3) journal February 2009

Figures / Tables (4)

Figure 1(p. 2)figure Figure 1
Figure 2(p. 3)figure Figure 2
Figure 3(p. 3)figure Figure 3
Figure 4(p. 4)figure Figure 4

Similar Records

Empirically testing vaterite structural models using neutron diffraction and thermal analysis
Journal Article · Thu Nov 17 23:00:00 EST 2016 · Scientific Reports · OSTI ID:1333067
Sturgeon and paddlefish (Acipenseridae) saggital otoliths are composed of the calcium carbonate polymorphs vaterite and calcite: acipenseridae otoliths are vaterite and calcite
Journal Article · Wed Jul 27 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Fish Biology · OSTI ID:1324076
Otoliths of sub-adult Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens contain aragonite and vaterite calcium carbonate polymorphs
Journal Article · Thu Mar 07 23:00:00 EST 2019 · Journal of Fish Biology · OSTI ID:1526391

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE