Seasonal and Developmental Variation in the Lethality of Zinc to Juvenile Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar )

• Published in: Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
• Main Authors: Zitko, V., Carson, W. G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1977
• Subjects: Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f77-018; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f77-018

The incipient lethal level (ILL) of zinc to juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in fresh water at a water hardness of 14 mg/ℓ varies from 150 to 1000 μg/ℓ as a function of season and developmental stage of the fish. The ILL increases from 500 to 1000 μg/ℓ during the 1st yr and decreases to 150 μg/ℓ in the following spring. The more sensitive stage in the salmon's life history, evidenced by decrease of ILL coincides with and is probably related to initial stages of the parr–smolt transformation.