Evaluation of the effects of pressure gradients on four Brazilian freshwater fish species

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology

Paulo Dos Santos Pompeu²  Luiz Felipe Mascarenhas Horta¹  Carlos Barreira Martinez¹ 

[1] ,Universidade Federal de Lavras Departamento de Biologia Lavras MG ,Brasil

关键词: downstream fish passage;    dams;    experimental apparatus;    fish mortality;    pressure effects on fish;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1516-89132009000100015

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

This work aimed to experimentally evaluate the behavior of Brazilian freshwater fish species when submitted to a gradual increase in pressure, as well as sudden decompression's effects simulating the passage through a hydroelectric turbine. Four species from the São Francisco river basin were tested: Astyanax bimaculatus, Hypostomus sp., Leporinus reinhardti and Prochilodus costatus. For all of them mortality rates due to decompression were extremely low. However, the symptoms related to decompression, such as bulged eyes and hemorrhage, were not observed only in Hypostomus sp., and were more frequent the larger the pressure values were, considering the values from which decompression was performed. All these symptoms decreased significantly after 24 h of observation. With the increase in pressure inside the apparatus, the four tested species moved towards the upper levels. This behavior could make possoble the implementation of bypass downstream fish passages in dams constructed in Brazil.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC   
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