ORAL DEFORMITIES IN TADPOLES (RANA-CATESBEIANA) ASSOCIATED WITH COAL ASH DEPOSITION - EFFECTS ON GRAZING ABILITY AND GROWTH

1. Tadpoles of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) collected in a coal ash deposition basin (contaminated with As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Se and other elem ents) and a downstream drainage swamp had a reduced number of labial t eeth and deformations of labial papillae when compared with tadpoles f rom reference areas. Tadpoles from the coal ash-affected areas had 90% fewer teeth in anterior tooth row number 2 and 40% fewer teeth in pos terior row number 1 than reference animals. In the deposition basins, drainage swamp and reference ponds, respectively 96.2, 85.1 and 2.9% o f tadpoles had oral deformities. 2. Tadpoles with deformities were les s able to graze periphyton than were normal tadpoles, when tested in t he laboratory. When presented with periphyton as a sole food source, t adpoles with deformed teeth had lower (negative) growth rates than tho se with normal teeth, which had slightly positive growth rates. When p articulate food was also available, tadpoles grew well regardless of d eformities. 3. It appears that the morphological deformities associate d with this coal ash-polluted environment can have ecological ramifica tions for the affected organisms by Limiting the type of food that can be consumed and the ability to grow when multiple food types are unav ailable.