Genetic and demographic responses of mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki Girard 1859) populations stressed by mercury

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620140818· OSTI ID:94322

Mulvey, M; Newman, M C; Chazal, A; Keklak, M M; Heagler, M G ^[1]; Hales, Jr, L S ^[2]

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1. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States)
2. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States). Zoology Dept.

Genetic and demographic changes in mosquitofish populations are reported after chronic (111 d) exposure to mercury. Sex ratios, normally female-biased in field populations, were also female-biased in control mesocosms. However, the sex ratio was male-biased in the mercury treatments. Frequencies of glucosephosphate isomerase-2 (Gpi-2) allozymes for fish exposed to mercury differed from initial frequencies and from those of control fish. In a selection-component analysis, female sexual selection was statistically significant for the mercury-treated fish; the proportional of females that were gravid differed among Gpi-2 genotypes. The number of developing embryos per female also differed among Gpi-2 genotypes. Mercury had genotype-specific effects on mosquitofish reproduction in addition to genotype-specific effects on mortality reported earlier. These effects may reflect metabolic qualities of the Gpi-2 genotypes or loci closely linked to the Gpi-2 locus.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 94322
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Journal Name: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 14; ISSN ETOCDK; ISSN 0730-7268
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
FISHES
GENETIC EFFECTS
MERCURY
MUTATION FREQUENCY
ONTOGENESIS
SENSITIVITY
SEX DEPENDENCE
WATER POLLUTION