Copper Accumulation and Toxicity in Euphausia superba Dana

• Main Authors: Virtue, P, Ritz, D, Nicol, S
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Water Board and Australian Marine Sciences Association Inc. 1992
• Subjects: Biological Sciences; Ecology; Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology); Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Euphausia superba
• Online Access: https://www.amsa.asn.au/; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/102526

Several aspects of copper toxicity to Euphausia superba were examined. Baseline copperconcentrations in Euphausia superba caught and frozen in the Antarctic was found to be in therange of 55.2-82.6 j.lg g-1, dry wt. Total body copper concentrations were measured in animalsexposed to various ambient copper concentrations. Euphausia superba were able to regulatecopper to a constant level beyond which copper became lethal at estimated ambient bioavailablecopper ion concentrations of 1.4 X 10-8M at an LT50 of 3.25 days. Krill died when the total bodyconcentration reached approximately 250-300 j.lg g-1 dry wt. Survival rates were found to bedirectly related to free copper ion concentrations which were determined by altering the free cupricion activity using the metal ion complexing agent, NT A.