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The effectiveness of sodium lauryl sulphate as a shark repellent in a laboratory test situation
Author(s) -
Smith Larry J.
Publication year - 1991
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.1095-8649.1991.tb03096.x
Subject(s) - rotenone , biology , sodium , zoology , chemistry , biochemistry , organic chemistry , mitochondrion
Swim‐through chemical repellency tests, using sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), cupric acetate, and rotenone, were conducted in a specially‐designed roundabout tank on horn sharks, Heterodontus francisci , swell sharks, Cephaloscylliun ventriosum , and leopard sharks, Triakis semifasciata . Effective concentration thresholds (EC 50 s) were calculated for two levels of response: (1) minimum noticeable and (2) strong. The SLS EC 50 s were: horn shark 43.6 and 174.5 ppm; swell shark 95.1 and 160.0 ppm; and leopard shark inconclusive and 113.1 ppm. No response was discernible from cupric acetate. Rotenone evoked a weak response with an EC 50 of 5.7 ppm, but no strong response. The ratio of the minimum noticeable EC 50 : 24‐hour lethal concentration (LC 50 ) indicated the relative repellency (compared to toxicity) of the chemicals. The ratio for SLS was 19:1 and for rotenone 57:1. SLS did not provoke a repellency response at a low enough concentration to function effectively as a classical, surrounding‐cloud type, repellent. The range of potency of SLS, however, does allow it to be used as a directional repellent.