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Assessment of magnesium chloride as an anaesthetic for adult sea urchins ( Paracentrotus lividus ): incidence on mortality and spawning
Author(s) -
Arafa Soumaya,
Sadok Saloua,
Abed Amor El
Publication year - 2007
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.1365-2109.2007.01842.x
Subject(s) - paracentrotus lividus , sea urchin , biology , gonad , acclimatization , magnesium , fishery , zoology , toxicology , ecology , anatomy , chemistry , organic chemistry
During this study different concentrations of magnesium chloride (MgCl 2 ) were tested on adult wild‐caught sea urchins ( Paracentrotus lividus ) immediately after their collection in the field in order to assess whether MgCl 2 can act as an anaesthetic during their transport and prevent unplanned spawning. Such accidental spawning is a stress response associated with transport of this species. The mortality and gonadal indices were recorded after a 1‐h submersion in different strength solutions of MgCl 2 (5, 20, 40, 80 and 100 mmol L −1 MgCl 2 ), followed by 5 h of dry transport under two different temperatures (19 and 25 °C). The effective concentration of MgCl 2 was defined as one that does not induce mortality and gonad mass loss following sea urchin transport and laboratory conditioning. Treatment of sea urchins with 5 mmol L −1 MgCl 2 prevented mortality and unplanned spawning; however, elevated concentrations of magnesium (40, 80 and 100 mM) were toxic to sea urchins, inducing a massive mortality and gonad mass decrease during the acclimatization period, essentially when sea urchins were transported under an elevated temperature (25 °C). It is concluded that MgCl 2 is a suitable non‐toxic anaesthetic, easily available for adult sea urchins ( P. lividus ) when it is used at its optimal anaesthetizing concentration.