Relationship between concentration of heavy metals in muscle tissue and body weight of fish from the Swan-Avon estuary, Westren Austarlia

Abstract

In five species of teleost from the Swan-Avon river system (Mugil cephalus, Aldrichetta forsteri, Amniataba caudavittatus, Acanthopagrus butcheri and Nematalosa vlaminghi), the concentration of nine different heavy metals in muscle tissue either declined or remained relatively constant with increasing body weight. The data for the biologically important iron, zinc, copper and manganese were almost invariably represented better by a logarithmic rather than a linear regression. The concentration of these four metals generally ceased to change markedly with body size at weights above approximately 50 g. The mean concentrations of all nine heavy metals in those individuals heavier than 50 g were very low in every species and are probably close to the minimum levels found in these fish in unpolluted environments. The concentrations of heavy metals were greater in fish which ingested bottom material than in those which fed on organisms such as polychaetes. molluscs and crustaceans, and on various forms of plant.