Effects of wood-related sterols on the offspring of the viviparous blenny,Zoarces viviparus L.

The parent generation of the viviparous blenny, Zoarces viviparus L., were exposed to phytosterols (a) from oogenesis to parturition and (b) from bree ding to parturition, The experiments were performed under laboratory condit ions in a test unit supplied with continuous renewal of brackish water. Aft er parturition the offspring were further reared either in clean or in phyt osterol-contaminated brackish water, The objective was to study the signifi cance of preexposure of the parent on the effects of phytosterols on the of fspring in comparison with effects occurring directly on previously unexpos ed offspring. The phytosterol concentrations used were (a) 0, 10, 20, and 3 0 mug/L and (0) 0, 10, and 20 mug/L. Offspring exposed in (a) was further r eared in clean water and in (b) offspring from parents exposed to 10 mug/L was either exposed further in the same concentration or left in clean water . Offspring from parents exposed to 20 mug/L was further exposed in the sam e concentration. Finally one group from unexposed parents was exposed to 10 mug/L, after birth. The offspring was studied for 6 months after birth. Th e results showed that blenny offspring are affected by phytosterols at expo sure through the parental generation, The results imply that phytosterols a ffect embryological development of the larvae before hatching as well as th e levels of circulating hormones of the parent fish, The larvae contained h igher levels of phytosterols as did controls and the bile of exposed female fish contained lower levels of phytosterols implying a link between the hi gher levels in larvae and lower excretion of the females, The growth of the larvae at 10 mug/L was stimulated regardless of whether the larvae were fu rther exposed, indicating that newborn larvae carried within the female are sensitive to exposure to phytosterols. (C) 2001 Academic Press.