Chemical physiological and morphological studies of feral baltic salmon (Salmo salar) suffering from abnormal fry mortality

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620121114· OSTI ID:5596849

Norrgren, L ^[1]; Andersson, T ^[2]; Bergqvist, P A ^[3]; Bjoerklund, I ^[4]

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1. Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden). Dept. of Pathology Swedish Environmental Research Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)
2. Univ. of Goteborg, (Sweden). Dept. of Zoophysiology
3. Univ. of Umea, (Sweden). Inst. of Environmental Chemistry
4. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Solna (Sweden)

In 1974, abnormally high mortality was recorded among yolk-sac fry of Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) originating from feral females manually stripped and fertilized with milt from feral males. The cause of this mortality, designated M74, is unknown. The hypothesis is that xenobiotic compounds responsible for reproduction failure in higher vertebrates in the Baltic Sea also interfere with reproduction in Baltic salmon. The significance of M74 should not be underestimated, because the syndrome has caused up to 75% yearly mortality of developing Baltic salmon yolk-sac larvae in a fish hatchery dedicated to production of smolt during the last two decades. The author cannot exclude the possibility that only a relatively low number of naturally spawned eggs develop normally because of M74. No individual pollutant has been shown to be responsible for the development of M74 syndrome. However, a higher total body burden of organochlorine substances may be responsible for the M74 syndrome. The presence of induced hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes in both yolk-sac fry suffering from M74 and adult feral females producing offspring affected by M74 supports this hypothesis. In addition, the P450 enzyme activity in offspring from feral fish is higher than the activity in yolk-sac fry from hatchery-raised fish, suggesting that feral Baltic salmon are influenced by organic xenobiotics.

• OSTI ID: 5596849
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States) Vol. 12:11; ISSN 0730-7268; ISSN ETOCDK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANADROMOUS FISHES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BALTIC SEA
FISHES
MORTALITY
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SALMON
SEAS
SENSITIVITY
SURFACE WATERS
TERATOGENESIS
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION
XENOBIOTICS