Grazing rates on toxic and non‐toxic strains of cyanobacteria by Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Oreochromis niloticus

Abstract

The tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and the silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix were exposed to toxic and non‐toxic strains of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa in order to determine if cells of the toxic strain were ingested and, if not, by what mechanism they were excluded. Enumeration of cyanobacterial particles before and after exposure to fish showed that there were no significant differences (P<0.05) at the end of the trial between the toxic treatment and the control consisting of toxic M. aeruginosa with no fish. Fish exposed to the non‐toxic strain increased opercular beat rate, elevating the volumes of water and food material passed over the gills whereas those that were held in the toxic strain did not. Of the cyanobacterial toxins (microcystins) presented to the fish, most were in the cyanobacterial cells, toxin levels in the water being below the level of detectability (<250 ng l−1), The ability of the fish to differentiate between toxic and non‐toxic cyanobacterial strains may thus be determined by very low levels of extracellular microcystins or/and other features which distinguish toxic from non‐toxic M. aeruginosa strains, such as cell surface components.