EFFECTS OF PCB CONTAMINATION ON THE REPRODUCTION OF THE DAB LIMANDA-LIMANDA L UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

The effect of PCB contamination on the reproduction of female dab was studied under laboratory conditions. Females were contaminated during gonad maturation by multiple oral administration of capsules containin g the technical PCB mixture Clophen A40. PCB contamination resulted in increased levels in the eggs, with concentrations of selected PCB con geners of 35 to 86 mu g . g(-1) exposed fish, 10 mu g . g(-1) lipid fo r eggs from fish fed with mussel meat and 5 mu g . g(-1) lipid for egg s from fish fed with shrimp. A statistically significant dose-effect r elationship was found between the PCB content of the eggs and the PCB dose ingested by the fish. For eggs from the PCB-treated fish the mean fertilization rate was 61% and mean hatching 45%, compared to 67% fer tilization and 59% hatching for eggs from untreated fish. Rate of deve lopment and survival of the eggs and mortality of the larvae after hat ching were mainly related to incubation temperature. No statistically significant differences between untreated and PCB-treated fish could b e found in egg production, egg quality, fertilization rate, hatching r ate and survival of larvae.