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Morphological Deformities in Brown Bullheads Administered Dietary β‐Naphthoflavone
Author(s) -
Grady Andrew W.,
Fabacher David L.,
Frame George,
Steadman Bryan L.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of aquatic animal health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1548-8667
pISSN - 0899-7659
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8667(1992)004<0007:mdibba>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - biology , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , contamination , fishery , ecology
Brown bullheads Ameiurus nebulosus were exposed for 28 d to chemically contaminated sediments from tributaries of the Great Lakes. The fish were subsequently transferred to sediment‐free water and fed a diet containing 500 mg (β‐naphthoflavone/kg for 90 d in an effort to promote neoplasms. Following the β‐naphthoflavone treatment, the fish were given untreated feed for an additional 150 d. The fish had no abnormalities after exposure to sediment for 28 d and no neoplasms after 268 d. However, fish fed β‐naphthoflavone exhibited profound and unexpected external lesions and greatly reduced body weight. These morphological deformities resembled abnormalities found in brown bullheads from chemically contaminated sites in the natural environment, where in some instances the fish have unusually high frequencies of neoplasms. Our results suggest that morphological deformities observed in fishes from chemically contaminated sites could result from long‐term exposure to compounds with mechanisms of action similar to those of β‐naphthoflavone.