Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) were exposed to various combinations of water hardness, pH, and copper. Hematocrits of exposed fish were measured after the fish were fatigued by forced swimming. In the absence of copper, hematocrits were not significantly altered by hardness and pH. In pH 6.0, hematocrit increased with increasing copper exposure. At pH 7.9, this response to copper was evident only at a hardness of 30 mg liter-1. Data on red blood cell counts, and carcass and muscle moisture suggest that hemoconcentration was accompanied by a shift in water from blood to muscle.
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