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Oxygen consumption by sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) exposed to zinc
Author(s) -
Brafield A. E.,
Matthiessen P.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1976.tb04684.x
Subject(s) - gasterosteus , zinc , respirometry , biology , oxygen , respiration , zoology , calcium , respiration rate , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , medicine , fishery , anatomy , biochemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry
The rate of oxygen consumption by sticklebacks has been studied by long‐term continuous‐flow respirometry. Exposure to 1 p.p.m. zinc in calcium‐free water causes wide variations in individual responses, but oxygen uptake tends to rise and then become extremely erratic, before declining as death approaches. Behavioural abnormalities such as increased ventilation rate, loss of balance, and long periods of inactivity alternating with spasmodic swimming also occur. Exposure to 6.5 p.p.m. zinc in high‐calcium water generally causes a rise in oxygen consumption, followed by fluctuations in the rate of uptake, but no behavioural abnormalities occur and deaths are rare even after exposure for 400 h. If restored to zinc‐free water after 40 h exposure to zinc, recovery is generally complete, although fluctuating rates of oxygen uptake persist. These results are discussed in relation to previous work on the effects of heavy metals on fish respiration.