Recovery of fat snook, Centropomus parallelus (Teleostei: Perciformes) after subchronic exposure to copper

Abstract

We studied the recovery of juvenile fat snook (Centropomus parallelus) after subchronic exposure to different concentrations of copper. Healthy juveniles (1.98g) were exposed to 25 or 50μg Cu/L for 30days (12 replicates with 5 fish in each one), and recovery was observed at 0, 4, 10, and 30days after exposure (3 replicates with 5 fish in each one). Copper genotoxicity in exposed individuals was observed using a micronucleus assay, and recovery was not observed even 30days post-exposure. Copper accumulation was observed in fish exposed to 25 or 50μg/L of copper in the gills (14.4 and 34.4μg/g, respectively) and muscle (5.7 and 5.5μg/g, respectively), and a return to normal copper levels (6.0μg/g for gills and 2.5μg/g for muscle) was observed 4 and 30days post-exposure in the gills and muscle tissues, respectively. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) was 80% inhibited in individuals exposed to copper and returned to normal levels for fish exposed to basal concentrations within 10days. Although copper accumulation in tissues dispersed 30days post-exposure, no recovery from genotoxicity was observed during this time. Thirty days was not enough to recover juvenile fat snook following subchronic exposure to copper.