Synopsis
Since lamprey larvae have a unique capacity for storage of large quantities of Fe, we assessed the importance of water and sediments as sources of this, and other trace metals, in sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, larvae from six populations in New Brunswick, Canada. Body burdens (mg) of Fe, Al, and Cu increased with age in larvae from all populations, except Al in the Nashwaaksis River. Whole body concentrations of Fe. Al, and Cu in sea lamprey were weakly correlated (maximum r = 0.39) with concentrations in water or sediment. Judging by these correlations (1) lamprey larvae obtain more Fe from the water than the sediments they inhabit, (2) sediment was the most important source of Cu to lampreys, and (3) both water and sediment contributed equally to Al levels in sea lamprey larvae. Negative correlations between concentrations of Fe, an essential micronutrient, and Al, a toxic element, in larvae and their environment support the inferences that Fe levels in larvae are homeostatically regulated and that Al may be actively detoxified by larvae. Stronger correlations between environmental concentrations of metals and concentrations in lampreys were expected, given the ecology and high Fe concentrations in the tissues of larvae. Although our field samples have provided the first data on body metal concentrations in several lamprey populations, they did not provide a definitive explanation of the source of high body Fe concentrations in the larvae. Future research should use a controlled environment to investigate the role of food and the interstitial water of the burrow as sources and routes of metal uptake in lamprey larvae.
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This paper is dedicated to the memory of Daniel Ray Ogilvie, who died 7 January 1995.
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Holmes, J.A., Youson, J.H. Environmental sources of trace metals in sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, larvae in New Brunswick, Canada. Environ Biol Fish 47, 299–310 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000502
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000502