Effects of acute and chronic waterborne lead exposure on the swimming performance and aerobic scope of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas)

Author(s):  
Edward M. Mager ◽  
Martin Grosell
1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 2165-2167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan S. Kolok ◽  
James T. Oris

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the specific growth rate of male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) was positively correlated with swimming performance. Subadult fish were allowed to grow into adults over a period of 31 – 55 days, after which the critical swimming speed of each fish was determined. Variation in critical swimming speed was substantial (greater than 50%), and a significant positive correlation was found between number of growing days and critical swimming speed, whereas a significant negative correlation was found between specific growth rate and critical swimming speed. A multiple regression using specific growth rate and number of growing days explained over 47% of the variation in swimming performance. Fathead minnows that grow fast are poor swimmers, suggesting a trade-off between swimming performance and specific growth rate in this species.


1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang A. Jansen ◽  
John H. Gee

Swimbladder function, buoyancy-related behavior, and swimming performance were examined in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) following chronic (>4 d) exposure to acid-treated water (pH 5.3). When denied surface access in still water, treated fish, unlike controls (pH 7.7), failed to increase buoyancy and standard volume over "access to air" levels and had significantly higher proportions of swimbladder CO2 and O2. In current, treated fish reduced buoyancy over 48 h to a lesser extent than controls and were severely limited in their ability to increase internal pressure of swimbladder gases. pH significantly affected the maintenance of a minimum buoyancy over 32 d. Upon transfer from current to still water without access to air, the rate of buoyancy adjustment over 48 h was significantly slower in treated fish. With surface access, fish of both groups filled swimbladders within 6–12 h following removal from current; however, treated fish displayed significantly lower proportions of swimbladder CO2 and O2 at 12 and 24 h. Both groups of fish compensated hydrodynamically for insufficient static lift with higher frequencies of pectoral fin beats, treated fish having generally higher frequencies. Swimming performance was unaffected by water pH, but treated fish lost more weight than controls. We propose that impaired swimbladder function contributes to the elimination of fathead minnows from acidified environments.


Author(s):  
Richard L. Leino ◽  
Jon G. Anderson ◽  
J. Howard McCormick

Groups of 12 fathead minnows were exposed for 129 days to Lake Superior water acidified (pH 5.0, 5.5, 6.0 or 6.5) with reagent grade H2SO4 by means of a multichannel toxicant system for flow-through bioassays. Untreated water (pH 7.5) had the following properties: hardness 45.3 ± 0.3 (95% confidence interval) mg/1 as CaCO3; alkalinity 42.6 ± 0.2 mg/1; Cl- 0.03 meq/1; Na+ 0.05 meq/1; K+ 0.01 meq/1; Ca2+ 0.68 meq/1; Mg2+ 0.26 meq/1; dissolved O2 5.8 ± 0.3 mg/1; free CO2 3.2 ± 0.4 mg/1; T= 24.3 ± 0.1°C. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd gills were subsequently processed for LM (methacrylate), TEM and SEM respectively.Three changes involving chloride cells were correlated with increasing acidity: 1) the appearance of apical pits (figs. 2,5 as compared to figs. 1, 3,4) in chloride cells (about 22% of the chloride cells had pits at pH 5.0); 2) increases in their numbers and 3) increases in the % of these cells in the epithelium of the secondary lamellae.


1983 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Zischke ◽  
John W. Arthur ◽  
Kathleen J. Nordlie ◽  
Roger O. Hermanutz ◽  
Douglas A. Standen ◽  
...  

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