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Ammonia and nitrite toxicity to false clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris

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Abstract

False clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris, is one of the most commercialized fish species in the world, highly produced to supply the aquarium market. The high stocking densities used to maximize fish production can increase ammonia and nitrite to toxic levels. In this study, A. ocellaris juveniles (1.20 ± 0.34 g) were exposed to six concentrations of ammonia ranged from 0.23 to 1.63 mg/L NH3-N and eight concentrations of nitrite (26.3–202.2 mg/L NO2 −-N). The LC50- 24, LC50-48, LC50-72 and LC50-96 h were estimated to be 1.06, 0.83, 0.75 and 0.75 mg/L for NH3-N and 188.3, 151.01, 124.1 and 108.8 mg/L for NO2 −-N. Analysis of gill lesions caused by sublethal concentrations of these nitrogenous compounds showed that both nitrogenous compounds induced tissue lesions such as hyperplasia of epithelium cells, hypertrophy of chloride cells and lamellar lifting to all concentrations tested. However, histopathological alterations were more conspicuous accordingly the increase of ammonia or nitrite in fish exposed to 0.57 mg/L NH3-N or 100 mg/L NO2 −-N. Based on our results, we recommend to avoid concentrations higher than 0.57 mg/L of NH3-N and 25 mg/L of NO2-N in water.

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Acknowledgments

R. S. Medeiros and B. A. Lopez are students of the Graduate Program in Aquaculture at FURG and are supported by the Brazilian funding agencies CAPES and CNPq, respectively. L. A. Romano and L. A. Sampaio are fellow researchers of CNPq, and R. V. Rodrigues is supported by CAPES.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Piscicultura Estuarina e Marinha, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG, CP 474, Rio Grande, RS, 96201-900, Brazil

    Rafael Soriani Medeiros, Bianca Azevedo Lopez, Luís André Sampaio & Ricardo Vieira Rodrigues

  2. Laboratório de Imunologia e Patologia de Organismos Aquáticos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG, CP 474, Rio Grande, RS, 96201-900, Brazil

    Luis Alberto Romano

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  1. Rafael Soriani Medeiros
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  2. Bianca Azevedo Lopez
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  3. Luís André Sampaio
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  4. Luis Alberto Romano
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  5. Ricardo Vieira Rodrigues
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Correspondence to Ricardo Vieira Rodrigues.

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Medeiros, R.S., Lopez, B.A., Sampaio, L.A. et al. Ammonia and nitrite toxicity to false clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris . Aquacult Int 24, 985–993 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-015-9965-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-015-9965-9

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