Effect of methylmercury on egg and juvenile viability in two populations of killifish Fundulus heteroclitus
Killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) eggs from a polluted creed (Piles Creek (PC)) and a relatively pristine estuary in Long Island (LI) were exposed for 20 min to various concentrations of methylmercuric chloride (MeHg) prior to combination with untreated sperm. PC killifish eggs showed a higher LC/sub 50/ value (1.7 mg/liter) than LI eggs (0.7 mg/liter). PC eggs that were fertilized by nontreated sperm after exposure to 1.0 or 2.5 mg/liter meHg and then placed in clean sea water (15 parts per thousand) for 1 week showed a 5 and 7% malformations of the embryos, respectively. However, exposure of LI eggs to 1.0 mg/liter prior to fertilization caused 32% malformations of the embryos, and at 2.5 mg/liter almost all the embryos died. The data indicate that LI killifish eggs are less tolerant to meHg than PC eggs. This is in keeping with previous data on embryonic tolerance to meHg in these two populations. However, 96-hr LC/sub 50/ values of juvenile fish (25-45 mm standard length) did not differ between these two populations.
- Research Organization:
- Rutgers Univ., Newark, NJ
- OSTI ID:
- 5649481
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Res.; (United States), Vol. 44:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
EMBRYOS
MORTALITY
JUVENILES
METHYLMERCURY
TOXICITY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EGGS
FISHES
LONG ISLAND SOUND
MERCURY CHLORIDES
SPERMATOZOA
STREAMS
TOLERANCE
VIABILITY
WATER POLLUTION
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ESTUARIES
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MERCURY HALIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)