Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to mercury (1.69, 6.79, and 13.
57 µg/l HgCl2; 10 d exposure) and afterwards tested using various metrics of foraging
ability while feeding in a vegetated habitat. Among the foraging metrics were foraging
efficiency, capture speed, and the ability to learn and retain information regarding habitat
characteristics. Comparisons with control fish and fish from the two highest exposure
groups revealed consistent performance deficits in foraging efficiency and capture speed.
However, no treatment effects on learning were detected. In determining the underlying
proximate cause of the foraging deficits, it is believed that the greater pause time
exhibited by treatment fish while foraging was the main cause of treatment differences.
In the future, behavioral studies will continue to allow toxicity testing of environmentally
relevant variables such as those used by behavioral ecologists. Such tests, when
combined with tests of field collected specimens, could prove powerful in linking
laboratory toxicity to toxicity in wild populations. / Master of Science
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/37122 |
| Date | 30 May 2001 |
| Creators | Grippo, Mark |
| Contributors | Biology, Heath, Alan G., Angermeier, Paul L., Jenssen, Thomas A. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Master's project |
| Format | application/octet-stream, application/pdf |
| Rights | I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Virginia Tech or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
| Relation | thesis.log, 1thesis.pdf |
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