Copper sensitivity of Pacific herring, Clupea harengus Pallasi, during its early life history

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1978 · Fish. Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6682714

Rice, Jr, D W; Harrison, F L

Embryos and larvae of the Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, were exposed to copper, using a flow-through bioassay system. Herring embryos were exposed continuously from 12 h after fertilization until hatching, and larvae were exposed from the time of hatching until yolk sac absorption. Embryos were also exposed to 36-h duration pulses of copper in order to evaluate the sensitivity of different developmental stages of herring embryos to copper. Pulsed exposures started at 62, 98, or 136 h after fertilizaton. The following measurements were taken as indices of the toxic effects of copper: cumulative mortality, percent hatching, and larval length upon hatching. The onset of mortality of herring embryos continuously exposed to copper began 90 h after fertilization, with deaths occurring over a short interval thereafter (response period). Significant embryo mortalities occurred at a copper concentration as low as 35 ..mu..g/l. Herring larvae continuously exposed to copper showed significant mortality at 300 ..mu..g/l copper, with no delay in the onset of mortality. Embryos exposed to 36-h pulses of copper during different developmental stages showed reduced sensitivity when exposed after the response period. Larvae that hatched from eggs exposed to a 36-h pulse of copper before the response period grew significantly less than those hatched from eggs exposed during later developmental stages.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Livermore
• OSTI ID: 6682714
• Journal Information: Fish. Bull.; (United States), Vol. 76:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
COPPER
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
FISHES
ONTOGENESIS
BIOASSAY
EMBRYOS
HATCHING
LARVAE
MORTALITY
PACIFIC OCEAN
SENSITIVITY
TOXICITY
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ELEMENTS
METALS
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)