Morphological Deformities as Biomarkers in Fish from Contaminated Rivers in Taiwan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Peter Lin Sun¹  William E. Hawkins²  Robin M. Overstreet² 

[1] Department of Aquaculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Nei Pu, Pingtung, Taiwan;Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, The University of Southern Mississippi, P.O. Box 7000, Ocean Springs, MS 39566, USA; E-Mails:

关键词: tilapia;    morphological deformity;    biomarker;    indicator;    river pollution;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph6082307

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) were collected seasonally from four contaminated rivers in southwestern Taiwan for studies of morphological deformities that could be used as biomarkers of contamination. Morphological deformities found in tilapia were separated into 15 categories. Overall, the prevalence of deformities such as split fins, lower lip extension and gill deformities were significantly related to various water quality parameters, including low DO and high ammonium, lead and zinc concentrations. The persistence of tilapia in polluted waters and the development of a suite of morphological deformities suggest that tilapia can be used as sentinels of non-point source pollution in rivers.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2009 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.