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Effects of ammonia accumulation on metabolic rates and growth of European eel, Anguilla anguilla L., in relation to warmwater aquaculture
Author(s) -
KNIGHTS B.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2109.1989.tb00447.x
Subject(s) - ammonia , biology , excretion , excretory system , hyperventilation , salinity , oxygen , zoology , aquaculture , anguillidae , fishery , ammonia production , environmental chemistry , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , biochemistry , endocrinology , chemistry , medicine , organic chemistry
. Laboratory experiments on fingerling eels, Anguilla anguilla L., were carried out at high density (50gl 1 ) in fresh and sea water (30% salinity) at 25°C. The effects of reduced water exchange rates, leading to excretory ammonia accumulation, on feeding, assimilation, oxygen consumption, ambient pH and nitrogen excretion were studied. Estimates of growth rates were made. High ambient ammonia concentrations caused large and prolonged increases in post‐feeding oxygen consumption, energy wastage and growth suppression. The main causes are suggested to be hyperventilation and neural hyperexcitability due to increases in blood unionized ammonia. The data obtained are used to predict minimum water exchange rates needed to prevent ammonia‐induced growth suppression and to meet peak post‐feeding oxygen demands.