Tissue distribution and histopathological effects of dietary methylmercury in benthic grubby Myoxocephalus aenaeus
- Rimouski Oceanographic Center, Quebec (Canada)
There is a need to test deterministic models predicting the behavior and effects of chemicals on aquatic systems by conducting experiments with more than one trophic step at a time. This approach requires the set-up of an experimental food chain in pounds or mesocosm facilities which can be used for dietary uptake studies and assessment of sublethal stress induced by contaminated food. In the course of our current research program at the INRS marine mesocosms facilities, a model benthic food chain including inter- and sub-tidal species such as the mussel (Mytilus edulis), clam (Mya arenaria), starfish (Leptasterias polaris), polychaete (Nereis virens), amphipod (Gammarus sp.), gastropod (Buccinum undatum), and fishes (Pleuronectec americanus, Myoxocephalus aenaeus), is used for testing food uptake models and for the development of sublethal toxicity tests which could be used in the environmental assessment of coastal and estuarine waters. Among these test organisms, the grubby (M. aenaeus) is a small coastal fish (12-15 cm) characterized by a broad head. The grubby is tolerant of water temperature and salinity variations and lives on a wide variety of bottom strata at low depths. The grubby is carnivorous and consumes a wide variety of molluscs and the young of many species of fish. Because of its size, its estuarine and coastal distribution and its large spectrum of prey, this species was seen as an ideal fish to fit into our experimental food chain model. This paper reports a preliminary experiment designed to measure distribution of mercury in tissues and to test the response of various histopathological and biochemical stress indicators in grubby exposed to dietary contamination by methylmercury (MeHg) for a 20-day exposure period. MeHg was chosen because it is rapidly bioaccumulated by most living organisms and its toxicity has been studied for decades in numerous aquatic ecosystems. 17 refs., 2 tabs.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 48009
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol. 54, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: May 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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