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Fish Gills Alterations as Potential Biomarkers of Environmental Quality in a Eutrophized Tropical River in South‐Eastern B razil
Author(s) -
Nascimento A. A.,
Araújo F. G.,
Gomes I. D.,
Mendes R. M. M.,
Sales A.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
anatomia, histologia, embryologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.34
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1439-0264
pISSN - 0340-2096
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0264.2011.01125.x
Subject(s) - characiformes , gill , barbus , characidae , biology , perciformes , omnivore , zoology , water column , ecology , fishery , cyprinidae , fish <actinopterygii> , predation
Summary Gill anomalies in three common fish species of different taxonomic order, habitat dwelling and feeding habits (one C haraciformes, O ligosarcus hepsetus ; one S iluriformes, H ypostomus auroguttatus ; and one P erciformes, G eophagus brasiliensis ) from a eutrophized tropical river in south‐eastern in B razil were compared. The aim of this study was to search for sentinel species that could be used as potential biomarkers of environmental quality. Most fish had gills with histological changes, namely epithelial lifting, interstitial oedema, leucocyte infiltration, hyperplasia of the epithelial cells, lamellar fusion, vasodilatation and necrosis. On the other hand, lamellar blood congestion and lamellar aneurysm, which are more serious and often irreversible changes, were recorded for the water column carnivorous O . hepsetus and, to a lesser extent, for the bottom‐dwelling detritivorous H . auroguttatus . A histopathological alteration index ( HAI ) based on the occurrence and severity of gills anomalies indicated that O . hepsetus (mean score = 11.4) had significantly higher values (Kruskall–Wallis H 2,41 = 15.95, P = 0.0003) compared with G . brasiliensis (mean score = 7.0). Overall, the omnivorous G . brasiliensis had comparatively lesser occurrence of most gill anomalies compared with other two species, being less suitable as biomarker of environmental quality. In contrast, the water column–dweller O . hepsetus (water column) and the bottom‐dweller H . auroguttatus had gills most susceptible to changes, making them more suitable for using as histological biomarkers of the environmental quality in entrophized tropical rivers.