Sensitivity of greenback cutthroat trout to acidic pH and elevated aluminum

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Transactions of the American Fisheries Society; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8659(1991)120<0034:SOGCTT>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:5740145

Woodward, D F ^[1]; Farag, A M ^[2]; Little, E E; Steadman, B ^[3]; Yancik, R ^[4]

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1. National Fisheries Contaminant Research Center, Jackson, WY (United States)
2. Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie (United States)
3. National Fisheries Contaminant Research Center, Columbia, MO (United States)
4. Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO (United States)

The greenback cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki stomias is a threatened subspecies native to the upper South Platte and Arkansas rivers between Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado, an area also susceptible to acid deposition. In laboratory studies, the authors exposed this subspecies to nominal pHs of 4.5-6.5 and to nominal aluminum concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 300 {mu}g/L; the control was pH 6.5 treatment without Al. The authors used soft water that contained 1.3 mg Ca/L. Exposures of 7 days each were made for four early life stages: fertilized egg, eyed embryo, alevin, and swim-up larva. Effects were measured at the end of exposure and again after a recovery period lasting until 40 days posthatch. The alevin stage was the most sensitive: at pH 5.0 with no Al, survival was reduced by 68% and swimming duration by 76%, at pH 6.0 and 50 {mu}g Al/L, swimming duration was reduced by 62%, but survival was not affected. Reductions in whole-body concentrations of Na, K, and Ca indicated organism stress. Sodium was reduced most-about 50% in alevins exposed to pH 5.0 without Al and to pH 6.0 with 50 {mu}g Al/L. Growth and the ratio of RNA to DNA were not affected by any exposure. All responses that were affected during exposure returned to normal by 40 days posthatch. Overall, it appeared that pH 6.0 and 50 {mu}g Al/L might be detrimental to greenback cutthroat trout populations.

• OSTI ID: 5740145
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society; (United States) Vol. 120:1; ISSN 0002-8487; ISSN TAFSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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