New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Short communication
Acute ammonia toxicity for eight New Zealand indigenous freshwater species
JODY RICHARDSON
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric
Research Ltd
P. O. Box 11 115
Hamilton, New Zealand
Abstract The acute toxicity of un-ionised ammonia to seven
New Zealand indigenous fish and one indigenous crustacean species was
established. Shrimp (Paratya curvirostris) was the most sensitive
species, followed by banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus), common bully
(Gobiomorphus cotidianus), common smelt (Retropinna retropinna),
redfin bully (G. huttoni), inanga (Galaxias maculatus), and
longfin and shortfin eels (Anguilla dieffenbachii and A.
australis). The 96 h LC50 at 15deg.C and pH 7.5 and pH 8.1 ranged from 0.75
to 2.35 mg NH3 l-1 for these species. Unusually, New Zealand fish
were more tolerant to ammonia than some native invertebrate species tested by a
similar method. Within the limits of the life stages and species tested here,
adequate protection is provided for native fish by adopting US Environmental
Protection Agency ammonia criteria.
Keywords ammonia; toxicity; Anguilla dieffenbachii;
Anguilla australis; Galaxias fasciatus; Galaxias
maculatus; Gobiomorphus cotidianus; Gobiomorphus huttoni;
Retropinna retropinna; Paratya curvirostris
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1997, Vol. 31:
185-190
0028-8330/97/3102-0185 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (481K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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