Relationship between embryo selenium concentration and early life stage development in white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) from a Northern Canadian Lake.

摘要

The Cluff Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, has been in operation since 1980. Over time, some contamination of downstream waterbodies has occurred. One contamination of concern is selenium (Se) which is known to cause teratogenic effects in fish at very low concentrations. This study was conducted to assess the possible selenium-induced teratogenic and developmental effects in the early life stages of fish native to Island Lake. Eggs were stripped from mature female white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) and fertilized, cultured, hatched and reared using water collected from Cluff Lake, an uncontaminated lake near Cluff Lake mine. Results showed that there was no correlation between selenium concentration in white sucker and the frequency of developmental deformities. Although some alevin/larvae in this study exhibited developmental deformities with the absorption of their yolk sacs, the low percentage of deformities observed and the lack of correlation with embryo selenium concentration, indicate that selenium in Island Lake may be having at most a slight effect on the resident white sucker population..