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Protective Effect of High Alkalinity Against the Deleterious Effects of Chronic Waterborne Cadmium Exposure on the Detection of Alarm Cues by Juvenile Silver Catfish (Rhamdia quelen)

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Abstract

The objective of the present study was to analyze the effect of chronic cadmium (Cd) exposure at two alkalinity levels (63 and 92 mg l−1 CaCO3) on the antipredatory behavior of juvenile silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) exposed to conspecific skin extract and predator odor. At an alkalinity of 63 mg l−1 CaCO3, 30 days of exposure to either 4.5 or 8.0 μg l−1 Cd impaired the catfish’s antipredatory response to alarm cues. However, silver catfish exposed to 4.5 μg l−1 Cd at an alkalinity of 92 mg l−1 CaCO3 responded to skin extract and predator odor. In catfish exposed to 8.0 μg l−1 Cd at the same alkalinity, only the number of feeding bites decreased, and this occurred only for specimens exposed to predator odor. Our results show that higher alkalinity protected against the deleterious effects of Cd on alarm cue detection but only in the larvae exposed to the lowest waterborne Cd level.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Richard P. Brinn, from Florida International University, for critical review of the manuscript. B. Baldisserotto and D. Kochhann, respectively, received research and undergraduate fellowships from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico. The authors are also thankful to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105 900, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Daiani Kochhann, Ana Paula S. Benaduce, Carlos E. Copatti, Karina R. Lorenzatto & Bernardo Baldisserotto

  2. Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Márcia F. Mesko, Érico M. M. Flores & Valderi L. Dressler

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  1. Daiani Kochhann
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  2. Ana Paula S. Benaduce
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  3. Carlos E. Copatti
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  4. Karina R. Lorenzatto
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  5. Márcia F. Mesko
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  6. Érico M. M. Flores
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  7. Valderi L. Dressler
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  8. Bernardo Baldisserotto
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Correspondence to Bernardo Baldisserotto.

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Kochhann, D., Benaduce, A.P.S., Copatti, C.E. et al. Protective Effect of High Alkalinity Against the Deleterious Effects of Chronic Waterborne Cadmium Exposure on the Detection of Alarm Cues by Juvenile Silver Catfish (Rhamdia quelen). Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 56, 770–775 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9291-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9291-1

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