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Effect of methylmercury on egg and juvenile viability in two populations of killifish Fundulus heteroclitus

Journal Article · · Environ. Res.; (United States)
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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), Journal Name: Environ. Res.; (United States) Vol. 44:2; ISSN ENVRA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EGGS
EMBRYOS
ESTUARIES
FISHES
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
JUVENILES
LONG ISLAND SOUND
MERCURY CHLORIDES
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MERCURY HALIDES
METHYLMERCURY
MORTALITY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SEAS
SPERMATOZOA
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TOLERANCE
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES
VIABILITY
WATER POLLUTION