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Beluga (Huso huso, Brandet 1869) bioenergetics under dietary methylmercury

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Abstract

Recently, there have been reports of increasing amounts of mercury (Hg) in muscles of beluga (Huso huso, Brandet 1869) in the Caspian Sea which exceeds its guideline level for food in the UK. Our intensive effort was to investigate the effects of dietary methylmercury (MeHg) on Beluga bioenergetics. Beluga juveniles were fed with four diets containing MeHg (control: 0.04 mg kg−1; low: 0.76 mg kg−1; medium: 7.88 mg kg−1; and high: 16.22 mg kg−1) for 70 days. There were significant differences in food consumption among the treatment groups. After 42 days, all individuals of the high dose died. After 35 and 70 days, all treatment groups (low, medium and high) showed a significant decline in their growth rate, unlike the control group. They also showed considerable lower specific growth rates (SGR) comparing to the control group. All treatment groups assimilated the dietary MeHg into their muscle tissue in a dose-dependent manner. Assimilation percent was significant among the treatment groups at days 35 and 70, but it was lower in the first 35 days than in the second 35 days. The data obtained from the dietary MeHg concentration and bioaccumulation rates were modeled for better natural resources management of the Caspian Sea.

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Abbreviations

SGR:

Specific growth rates

GCE:

Gross conversion efficiency

FCR:

Food consumption rate

AAS:

Atomic Absorption Spectrometer

SRM:

Standard Reference Materials

NIST:

National Institute of Standards and Technology

CF:

Condition factor

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Houck and Dr. Cech for manuscript review, Mrs. Karami, Mr. Nazeri and Dr. Akrami for their time and energy, Dr. Ghasempouri for technical assistance in Mercury analysis, and all staff of the Natural Resource and Marine Science Faculty of Tarbiat Modares University (T.M.U.) for financial support and corporation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resource and Marine Science, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 46414-356, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran

    A. Gharaei

  2. Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resource and Marine Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran

    A. Esmaili-Sari

  3. Golestan Fisheries Organization, Gorgan, Golestan, Iran

    V. Jafari-shamoshaki

  4. Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resource, University of Zabol, Zabol, Sistan & Blouchestan, Iran

    M. Ghaffari

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  1. A. Gharaei
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  2. A. Esmaili-Sari
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  3. V. Jafari-shamoshaki
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  4. M. Ghaffari
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Correspondence to A. Gharaei.

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Gharaei, A., Esmaili-Sari, A., Jafari-shamoshaki, V. et al. Beluga (Huso huso, Brandet 1869) bioenergetics under dietary methylmercury. Fish Physiol Biochem 34, 473–482 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-008-9224-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-008-9224-3

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