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Effects of Exposure to Ammonia in Water: Determination of the Sublethal and Lethal Levels in Siberian Sturgeon, Acipenser baerii

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The Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii, Brandt, 1869) Volume 1 - Biology

Abstract

The initial aim of this work was to situate the sensitivity of the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii B.) to ammonia compared with other species. Ammonia toxicity in the Siberian sturgeon was analysed, and the 24 h LC50 was performed for different weight groups. This sensitivity is currently determined by normalized tests of short duration, even if their practical application is difficult. During exposure to high levels of ammonia, we also observed alterations of the branchial tissue and modifications in haematological characteristics, in the behaviour of the fishes and tetany. Thus, the interpretation of these observations remains difficult, and we propose an experimental protocol under controlled conditions of pH, oxygen partial pressure PO2, carbon dioxide partial pressure PCO2, temperature and ammonia concentrations in water for 72 h duration to perform additional experiments in physiology and biochemistry.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Karine Pichavant-Rafini (ORPHY laboratory, EA4324) and Michel Rafini (Professor at the Language Dpt) of the Brest University, for their kindness and constant availability, their help and their scientific advices. Moreover, we are extremely indebted and grateful to them for the English corrections.

Notes of the Authors

The experiments were performed since 1990 to 1994. They have been investigated in the “Laboratoire de Neurobiologie et Physiologie comparées, CNRS URA 1126 and the University of Bordeaux I, F-33120 Arcachon,” in collaboration with the IRSTEA (formerly CEMAGREF), F-33611 Cestas-Gazinet.

The present chapter was a redrawn version of a part of a PHD: Salin D (1992) La toxicité de l’ammoniaque chez l’esturgeon sibérien, Acipenser baerii: effets morphologiques, physiologiques, métaboliques d’une exposition à des doses sublétales et létales. Thèse N° 749, Université Bordeaux I pp134, financial grant of the IRSTEA (formerly CEMAGREF) and CNRS. Director of thesis: Truchot Jean-Paul; supervisors: Nonnotte Guy and Williot Patrick.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 12 rue Marcel Pagnol, F-33260, La Teste de Buch, France

    Guy Nonnotte

  2. 109 rue Blaise Pascal, F-33160, Saint Médard en Jalles, France

    Dominique Salin

  3. 4 rue du Pas de Madame, F-33980, Audenge, France

    Patrick Williot

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  1. Guy Nonnotte
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  2. Dominique Salin
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  3. Patrick Williot
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Correspondence to Guy Nonnotte .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Audenge, France

    Patrick Williot

  2. La Teste de Buch, France

    Guy Nonnotte

  3. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Denise Vizziano-Cantonnet

  4. Kuban State University, Krasnodar, Krasnodar Territory, Russia

    Mikhail Chebanov

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Nonnotte, G., Salin, D., Williot, P. (2018). Effects of Exposure to Ammonia in Water: Determination of the Sublethal and Lethal Levels in Siberian Sturgeon, Acipenser baerii. In: Williot, P., Nonnotte, G., Vizziano-Cantonnet, D., Chebanov, M. (eds) The Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii, Brandt, 1869) Volume 1 - Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61664-3_19

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