Premium
Effects of copper on growth and starvation in perch, Percafluviatilis L.
Author(s) -
Collvin L.
Publication year - 1985
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.1095-8649.1985.tb03218.x
Subject(s) - biology , perch , starvation , specific dynamic action , zoology , metabolism , metabolic rate , growth rate , steady state (chemistry) , food intake , body weight , endocrinology , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , chemistry , geometry , mathematics
Non‐fed perch and perch fed a reduced ration were exposed to copper (0.15 of the 96‐h LC50) for 40 days. Starvation and growth rates were determined at 5‐day intervals to estimate the copper's effects on metabolism and food consumption. In general, copper increased starvation rates, reduced growth rates but did not affect food consumption. Weight reductions occurred in the first, but not in the second, 5‐day interval. There then followed an accelerated and linear weight reduction for 10–15 days, after which the rate of weight reduction was constant and at its highest level. Thus, perch did not acclimatize but a steady state of high metabolic cost was indicated over the last 20 days. The establishment and maintenance of this steady state was attributed to a detoxification mechanism. The increase in metabolic rate was, at steady state, estimated to increase the standard metabolic rate by at least 1.8 times. There was no apparent increase in specific dynamic action but increased activity due to an increase in competition for food was estimated to further increase the metabolic rate by 1.2 times.