TRACE-METAL RESIDUES IN TISSUES OF 2 CRUSTACEAN SPECIES FROM THE BAHIA BLANCA ESTUARY, ARGENTINA

Trace metals (total mercury, cadmium and zinc) were studied in several tissues of the edible shrimps Pleoticus muelleri and Artemesia longin aris from the Bahia Blanca estuary, Argentina. The digestive gland was shown to be the main organ in which metals accumulate, followed by th e stomach-alimentary canal and abdominal muscle. The metal contents fo und in the present study largely exceeded those of the same species ca ught from the Argentine Sea. Mercury concentrations increased proporti onally to the total length of the shrimps studied. Only little variati on in metal concentrations among individuals seemed to exist. Finally, the usefulness of these species as bioindicators of trace metal pollu tion in the Bahia Blanca estuary is discussed.