NON-AVOIDANCE OF HYDROCARBON LADEN SEDIMENTS BY JUVENILE FLATFISHES

Citation
A. Moles et al., NON-AVOIDANCE OF HYDROCARBON LADEN SEDIMENTS BY JUVENILE FLATFISHES, Netherlands journal of sea research, 32(3-4), 1994, pp. 361-367
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Oceanografhy,"Marine & Freshwater Biology
ISSN journal
00777579
Volume
32
Issue
3-4
Year of publication
1994
Pages
361 - 367
Database
ISI
SICI code
0077-7579(1994)32:3-4<361:NOHLSB>2.0.ZU;2-T
Abstract
Behavioural tests were used to determine whether juvenile flatfishes w ere capable of detecting and avoiding sediment containing various conc entrations of petroleum hydrocarbons. Three species of juvenile Alaska n flatfishes: rock sole (Pleuronectes bilineatus), yellowfin sole (P. asper), and Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) were tested in l aboratory chambers containing contaminated mud or sand offered in comb ination with clean mud, sand or granule. The flatfishes were able to d etect and avoid heavily oiled (2%) sediment, but they did not avoid lo wer concentrations of oiled sediment (0.05%). Oiled sediment was favou red over unoiled sediment if the unoiled sediment was of the grain siz e not preferred by that species. Oiled sand or mud was always preferre d over unoiled granule. The observed lack of avoidance at concentratio ns likely to occur in the environment may lead to long-term exposure t o contaminated sediment following a spill. Recruitment of juveniles ma y be affected if the exposure to oil is long enough to affect growth a nd survival.