Electrolyte changes of serum and muscle, and related mortalities in maturingAnguilla rostrata migrating down the St. Lawrence Estuary (Canada)

Abstract

This study was made to investigate changes in serum and muscle ion concentrations and related mortalities in maturingAnguilla rostrata migrating down the St. Lawrence Estuary. Mortalities take place in the freshwater portion of the St. Lawrence. Electrolyte concentrations of moribund eels taken in freshwater were compared to those of freshwater and salt water controls. Moribund eels had a much lower serum osmolality (270 mOsm/kg) than the controls (328 and 358 mOsm/kg). This resulted from low sodium (125 mEq/l) and particularly low chloride (69 mEq/l) contents in the moribund eels compared to the freshwater controls (153 and 117 mEq/l) and the salt water controls (179 and 137 mEq/l). There was also a general decrease in muscle ion concentrations in moribund eels though the percentage water was similar to that of the freshwater controls (64.0 and 63.7%). The changes measured between the freshwater controls and the salt water controls in nature are similar to those measured onAnguilla anguilla in laboratory. These results suggest that mortalities are related to failure by some of the maturing eels to maintain their mineral balance in freshwater. Hypothesis is made that maturing eels migrating long distances in freshwater or retarded by physical or chemical barriers, start to excrete sodium and chloride under hormonal control before they have reached brackish water. In the conditions that prevail in the St. Lawrence Estuary, this results in mineral unbalance and possibly in mortalities.