Gyrodactylus salmonis infection impairs the olfactory system of rainbow trout.

Monogenean worms are ectoparasites that are known to be infectious to a wide variety of fish. Few species of monogenean parasites have been reported in the olfactory chamber of fish in current peer-reviewed literature. However, the impacts of these parasites on the olfactory system are not well understood. In this study, the effects of Gyrodactylus salmonis on the olfactory system structure and performance were investigated in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The olfactory performance of the infected fish was examined using an electro-olfactography (EOG) technique, while the ultrastructure of the olfactory rosette was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM). The infected rainbow trout displayed reduced responses to two standard olfactory cues (L-alanine and TCA). The SEM micrographs revealed that many regions of the olfactory epithelium in the infected fish were heavily pitted and the LM examination of the olfactory epithelium showed local proliferation of mucous cells in the sensory regions as compared to the control group. The results of this study demonstrated that G. salmonis causes physical damage to the olfactory system of fish that lead to olfactory impairment.

Effects of sertraline on behavioral indices of crayfish Orconectes virilis.

Sertraline, a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, is a widely prescribed antidepressant in North America. Though sertraline is continuously released from wastewater treatment plant discharge to surface water, effects of aqueous exposure of sertraline on behavioral responses of aquatic animals are largely unknown. Our study explored the effects of aqueous exposures of sertraline on antagonistic bouts and predator response behavior of virile crayfish (Orconectes virilis). Crayfish were either exposed or not exposed to waterborne sertraline and then size-matched for paired antagonistic bouts to determine if sertraline affects the aggression of each crayfish. We investigated the effect of sertraline on responses to visual predator cues and determined whether sertraline acts as an olfactory cue. Our results demonstrate that crayfish exposed to sertraline are more aggressive when paired with control crayfish but, when sertraline crayfish are paired, there is no change in aggression. Attraction response to sertraline in behavioral mazes was also observed, which may represent a maladaptive behavior, and in an ecological context may result in crayfish moving to areas with elevated levels of sertraline. However, aqueous exposure to sertraline had no effect on predator responses of crayfish. Future research is warranted to determine whether such medicine released in wastewater treatment plant effluents produces long-term ecologically important consequences for aquatic animals residing in urbanized aquatic ecosystems.

Variation in copper effects on kairomone-mediated responses in Daphnia pulicaria.

Chemical signals play an integral role in many predator-prey relationships but their effectiveness can be altered by environmental conditions. Prey species can detect predator kairomones, which induce anti-predator defenses. An example of this predator-prey relationship exists between Daphnia spp. and Chaoborus spp.; however, when living in water contaminated with low concentrations of copper (Cu) Daphnia can fail to respond to Chaoborus kairomone and, in turn, become more susceptible to predation. This has implications for Daphnia living in regions with Cu contamination, such as areas where mining activity has resulted in increased levels of metals in the surrounding lakes. We examined kairomone-mediated responses of multiple Daphnia pulicaria clones obtained from 8 lakes in Ontario, Canada, in the absence and presence of environmentally-relevant Cu concentrations. Life history traits and morphological anti-predator defenses were assessed using neonates collected from mothers that were exposed to kairomone and Cu treatments. We found that kairomone-mediated responses and Cu-tolerance varied among D. pulicaria clones. Clones exposed to kairomone, in the absence of Cu additions, had diverse responses, including larger neonates, delayed reproduction, or altered brood size relative to no-kairomone controls. These kairomone-induced responses act as antipredator defense strategies against Chaoborus by preventing predation or stabilizing population growth. When exposed to Cu, two clones were able to respond to kairomone, while four clones no longer induced a response to kairomone. This variation in non-lethal effects of Cu on aquatic organisms suggests that toxicity tests should incorporate multiple genotypes and include predator-prey interactions.

Salvelinus namaycush spawning substratum attracts egg predators and opportunists through chemosensory cues.

Two separate field experiments were conducted in a series of small boreal lakes to test for the attraction of egg predators to lake trout Salvelinus namaycush spawning shoals and subsequently to determine whether chemosensory cues attract egg predators to these sites. In the first experiment, minnow traps set on spawning sites captured significantly more egg predators than those set on structurally similar non-spawning sites. Captures of slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus, common shiner Luxilus cornutus, blacknose shiner Notropis heterolepis and virile crayfish Orconectes virilis were more than double on spawning sites relative to non-spawning sites for the two study lakes. To test whether chemosensory cues could attract egg predators to S. namaycush spawning sites, paired minnow traps were placed on eight to 10 sites in each of the three study lakes; one trap contained visually concealed S. namaycush spawning substratum and the other with visually concealed non-spawning substratum. Traps containing spawning substratum consistently captured more fish and had higher mean daily catches than those that contained non-spawning substratum. The combined results demonstrate a greater prevalence of egg predators on S. namaycush spawning shoals that appears to be the result of chemosensory attraction to spawning substratum.

Chemosensory cues attract lake trout Salvelinus namaycush and an egg predator to the spawning substratum.

A field experiment was conducted to determine whether chemosensory cues emanating from lake trout Salvelinus namaycush spawning substratum attract breeding S. namaycush. Substrata from either a spawning site or a control site were randomly placed in trap nets around an isolated spawning shoal; those containing spawning substratum caught significantly more S. namaycush, as well as a greater proportion in breeding condition. White sucker Catostomus commersoni were a major predator of S. namaycush eggs and were also captured in greater numbers in nets with spawning substratum.

Do you smell what I smell? Olfactory impairment in wild yellow perch from metal-contaminated waters.

In this study, we sampled yellow perch from three lakes along a metal-contamination gradient and examined their olfactory ability in response to conspecific chemical alarm cues and metal-binding characteristics of their olfactory epithelium (OE). We measured the electrophysiological response at the OE, tested their antipredator behaviour and measured neuronal density at the olfactory rosette and bulb. Yellow perch from contaminated lakes exhibited significantly larger electrophysiological responses to alarm cues than clean lake fish, but showed no antipredator behaviour contrary to clean lake fish. Neuron density did not differ at either the olfactory rosette or bulb between clean and contaminated fish. Unlike fishes raised under laboratory or aquaculture settings, fish from contaminated lakes possessed a functional OE after metal exposure, but similar to laboratory/aquaculture fishes, yellow perch did not exhibit olfactory-mediated behaviours. Thus, wild fish from contaminated lakes can detect chemical stimuli but olfactory signal processing is disrupted which could alter ecological functioning.

Branchial cadmium and copper binding and intestinal cadmium uptake in wild yellow perch (Perca flavescens) from clean and metal-contaminated lakes.

Branchial binding kinetics and gastro-intestinal uptake of copper and cadmium where examined in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) from a metal-contaminated lake (Hannah Lake, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada) and an uncontaminated lake (James Lake, North Bay, Ontario, Canada). An in vivo approach was taken for gill binding comparisons while an in vitro gut binding assay was employed for gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) uptake analysis. By investigating metal uptake at the gill and the gut we cover the two main routes of metal entry into fish. Comparisons of water and sediment chemistries, metal burdens in benthic invertebrate, and metal burdens in the livers of perch from the two study lakes clearly show that yellow perch from Hannah L. are chronically exposed to a highly metal-contaminated environment compared to a reference lake. We found that metal-contaminated yellow perch showed no significant difference in gill Cd binding compared to reference fish, but they did show significant decreases in new Cd binding and absorption in their GITs. The results show that gill Cd binding may involve low-capacity, high-affinity binding sites, while gastro-intestinal Cd uptake involves binding sites that are high-capacity, low-affinity. From this we infer that Cd may be more critically controlled at the gut rather than gills. Significant differences in branchial Cu binding (increased binding) were observed in metal-contaminated yellow perch. We suggest that chronic waterborne exposure to Cu (and/or other metals) may be the dominant influence in gill Cu binding rather than chronic exposure to high Cu diets. We give supporting evidence that Cd is taken up in the GIT, at least in part, by a similar pathway as Ca(2+), principally that elevated dietary Ca(2+) reduces Cd binding and uptake. Overall our study reveals that metal pre-exposure via water and diet can alter uptake kinetics of Cu and Cd at the gill and/or the gut.

Dietary sodium inhibits aqueous copper uptake in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Ours is the first study to demonstrate an influence of dietary sodium on waterborne copper uptake in fish. We examined possible interactions between dietary sodium and the response of freshwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to waterborne copper in light of recent evidence of interactions between sodium and copper metabolism in the gills. Trout were maintained for 6 days on one of four diets of increasing sodium concentration (0.25 mmol g(-1), 0.51 mmol g(-1), 0.76 mmol g(-1) and 1.27 mmol g(-1), which corresponds to 0.6%, 1.2%, 1.8% and 3% sodium by mass, respectively). At the end of 7 days, fish were exposed for 6 h to waterborne copper spiked with (64)Cu to determine if the dietary sodium affected responses to a subsequent short-term waterborne copper exposure. The radiotracer allowed us to distinguish between Cu occurring in fish tissues before the experiment and 'newly accumulated' Cu arising from the experimental exposure. Dietary sodium concentrations of 1.8% or 3% reduced newly accumulated copper concentrations in gill (from 93.9 ng g(-1) in control to 38.9 ng g(-1) and 20.0 ng g(-1) in fish fed 1.8% or 3% Na(+)-supplemented diets, respectively), liver (from 64.3 ng g(-1) to 23.1 ng g(-1) and 7.5 ng g(-1), respectively), kidney (from 29.3 ng g(-1) to 11.7 ng g(-1) and 7.8 ng g(-1), respectively), plasma (from 64.7 ng g(-1) to 21.5 ng g(-1) and 10.7 ng g(-1), respectively) and gut (from 6.8 ng g(-1) to 3.4 ng g(-1) and 2.2 ng g(-1), respectively) by 50.0-88.2%. The 3% Na(+)-supplemented diets also increased plasma and gut sodium concentrations by 38.1% (from 137.1 micromol g(-1) to 189.3 micromol g(-1)) and 104.3% (from 56.5 micromol g(-1) to 115.4 micromol g(-1)), respectively, relative to fish maintained on untreated diets. Whole body uptake rates of both sodium and copper were significantly reduced, and highly correlated (r=0.97) with one another, in fish fed high-sodium diets relative to controls. Moreover, sodium efflux was 12% and 38% higher in fish fed 1.8% and 3% sodium-enriched diets, respectively. Fish fed high-sodium diets also drank more water, but the contribution of drinking to waterborne copper uptake was negligible. From these results, we speculate that, at least in part, aqueous sodium and copper share a common branchial uptake route, probably through an apical sodium channel. According to this hypothesis, as the channel is downregulated with increasing internal sodium concentrations, both sodium and copper uptake from the water are inhibited.

Toxicity of uranium mine receiving waters to early life stage fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) in the laboratory.

Elevated concentrations of arsenic, nickel, and molybdenum in aquatic systems around northern Saskatchewan uranium mines are an environmental concern. Early life stage fathead minnows were used to assess toxicity from several aquatic systems near the Key Lake and Rabbit Lake uranium operations. Hatching success of fish embryos exposed to waters receiving contaminants associated with uranium ore milling was reduced by 32-61% relative to controls. Mortality differed in two lakes receiving mill effluents because of opposing factors influencing metal toxicity (i.e. low pH and high hardness). In one mill receiving water (Fox Lake), larval mortality was 0%, whereas mortality was 85% in water collected from a downstream location (Unknown Lake). Fish embryos exposed to open-pit dewatering effluent receiving waters, or water from a flooded open pit (i.e. pit waters), hatched 26-39% earlier than those exposed to reference or control water. The combination of low water hardness and elevated nickel concentrations in pit waters contributed to the early hatching. Egg hatchability and hatching time were more sensitive indicators of toxicity than 'standard' endpoints, like larval mortality and growth. Current regulatory emphasis on single contaminants and standard toxicological endpoints should be re-evaluated in light of the complex interaction among confounding variables such as pH, hardness. conductivity, and multi-metal mixtures.

Dietary Ca inhibits waterborne Cd uptake in Cd-exposed rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.

The effects of chronic exposure to waterborne Cd and elevated dietary Ca, alone and in combination, were examined in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Fish were chronically exposed to 0.05 (control) or 2.56 microg/l Cd [as Cd(NO3)2*4H2O] and were fed 2% body mass/day of control (29.6 mg Ca/g) or Ca-supplemented trout food (52.8 mg Ca/g as CaCl2*2H2O). Cd accumulated mainly in gill, liver, and kidney. Waterborne Cd inhibited unidirectional Ca uptake from water into the gill and induced hypocalcemia in the plasma on day 40. Waterborne Cd also induced an elevated Ca concentration on day 20 in the gill tissue of trout fed the Ca-supplemented diet and a decreased Ca concentration on day 35 in the gills of trout fed the control diet. Dietary Ca protected against Cd accumulation in gill, liver, and kidney, but did not protect against the inhibition of Ca uptake into the gill or plasma hypocalcemia. When fed Ca-supplemented diet and exposed to waterborne Cd, fish showed 35% mortality, compared to 0-2% in control fish and in the Cd-exposed fish with normal Ca in the diet. Growth, on the other hand, was not affected by any treatment.

Toxicity of uranium mine-receiving waters to caged fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas.

Larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were placed at four exposure sites for 7 days in each of five lakes surrounding the Key Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Fish placed in lakes receiving Mo-contaminated mill effluent demonstrated higher mortalities than those placed in lakes receiving Ni-contaminated mine-dewatering effluent, which was not significantly different from reference sites. No significant differences were detected in fish growth among the study lakes because of the high (90%) mortality in Fox and Unknown lakes. Principal components analysis characterized exposure sites by total and dissolved metal concentration. Stepwise multiple regression of fish mortality on principal components generated from total metal data revealed that principal component 1 could account for 84% of the variance associated with fish mortality. Careful examination of the metals that correlated strongly with principal component 1 and with fish mortality suggested that dietary Se toxicity probably resulted in the differential fathead minnow mortality observed among study lakes.

Non-linear radionuclide transfer from the aquatic environment to fish.

Uptake of 226Ra, 232Th, 230Th, and 228Th from water, sediment, and diet sources to bone and muscle of white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) was studied in sixteen lakes in the uranium-mining district of Ontario, Canada. Fish tissues did not increase linearly with environmental concentrations. The best relationship appears to be a power function. This has implications for the accuracy of radiological dose and risk estimates for uranium mining impacts, which are often based on a linear model.

Radium-226 equilibrium between water and lake herring, Coregonus artedii, tissues attained within fish lifetime: confirmation in this species of one assumption in the simple linear concentration factor model.

Equilibrium conditions are assumed in the simple linear concentration factor model commonly used in simulations of contaminant flow through ecosystems and in dose and risk calculations. Predictions derived from a power function model have suggested that if the time scale of the food-chain transfer is less than six years in fish, radium-226 equilibrium will not be achieved in nature, thereby violating the equilibrium requirement in the concentration factor model. Our results indicate (226)Ra equilibrium is achieved in a natural population of lake herring (Coregonus artedii), contrary to predictions of the power function model.