Use of Swimming Capacity to Evaluate the Effect of Mercury on Poecilia vivipara (Poecilídeos)According to Salinity and Temperature

Use of Swimming Capacity to Evaluate the Effect of Mercury on Poecilia vivipara (Poecilídeos)According to Salinity and Temperature

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the exposed to mercury, under the influence of different temperatures and salinities, on the swimming capacity of Poecilia vivípara. For this purpose, swimming capacity was estimated through exposure in aqueous medium, in twelve possible combinations, with different concentrations of mercury (0.0 μg/L, 10 μg/L, 20 μg/L and 30 μg/L), three salinities (35, 20 and 5) and three temperatures (25ºC, 20ºC and 15ºC). The results show that the swimming capacity decreased according to the mercury concentration in all temperatures and salinities studied. At the highest tested concentration of mercury at 25°C, there was a decrease on swimming capacity of 84.4%, 91.2% and 97.1% in the salinities 35, 20 and 5, respectively. Generally speaking, averages were significantly different compared to control at the highest concentration of the mercury and in all temperatures. At lower salinity employed there was a corresponding increase in mercury toxicity and a decrease in swimming capacity. Swimming activity is a valid parameter and consistent index of the sublethal toxic effect that can be easily incorporated into the assay protocols to work with standard toxicity tests.