Abstract
This study documents the incidence of fin erosion and deformed (anomalous) fishes in two adjacent midwestern streams, north-central Ohio, U.S.A. Clear Fork stream flows through agricultural and forested areas, whereas Rocky Fork stream flows through industrialized Mansfield, Ohio, where it receives industrial and municipal effluents. Four sites on each stream were sampled monthly for fishes during July, 1982 through August, 1983. Incidence of fin erosion was significantly greater (P<0.01) at polluted sites compared to unpolluted sites; incidence did not differ among unpolluted sites (P>0.05). Incidence of fin erosion in fish from polluted sites was inversely correlated with water temperature (P<0.002). Severity of fin erosion was greater in fishes collected from polluted sites.
Interspecific differences in the location of fin erosion were observed. Creek chubs, white suckers, and stone-rollers had the highest incidence of external deformities. Statistical differences in the incidence of deformed fish between combined polluted sites and combined unpolluted sites were not evident (P>0.05). Nevertheless, total incidence of deformed fishes at polluted sites (0.53%) seemed to be elevated compared to total incidence at unpolluted sites (0.28%). Comparative studies between fish from streams suspected of being polluted and fish from nearby unpolluted, reference streams should be used to define effects of chronic pollution.
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Reash, R.J., Berra, T.M. Incidence of fin erosion and anomalous fishes in a polluted stream and a nearby clean stream. Water Air Soil Pollut 47, 47–63 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00468996
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00468996