Physiological response of juvenile striped bass,Morone saxatilis, to low levels of cadmium and mercury

Juvenile striped bass,Morone saxatilis, were exposed to 0.5, 2.5, and 5.0 parts per billion (ppb) cadmium as cadmium chloride for 30–90 days and to 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 ppb mercury as mercuric chloride for 30–120 days. Following the longest exposure to each metal, the fish were allowed to recover for 30 days in running seawater. Gill-tissue respiration, glucose-6-phosphatase, malic enzyme, aspartate aminotransferase, and magnesium activation of AAT were measured. Animals exposed to either metal exhibited changes in gill-tissue respiration. There was no significant difference in enzyme activity during exposure to either metal; however, fish cleared for 30 days following exposure to cadmium exhibited a slight drop in liver AAT and G6PdH.