EFFECTS OF PARENTAL AND DIETARY PCBS ON SURVIVAL, GROWTH, AND BODY BURDENS OF LARVAL STRIPED BASS

The paper reports on a study into the relative contribution of parental and dietary sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the survival and growth of striped bass larvae during their first month of life. To assess the effects of dietary PCBs upon these striped bass larvae, larvae having a known body burden of PCB were fed following yolk absorption and the initiation of feeding for 20 days on Artemia diets containing relatively high and low PCB contamination levels. Results of this preliminary laboratory study show that the inherited and dietary concentrations encountered had no effect on survival and growth after yolk absorption. A dramatic reduction in total PCBs reflects dilution of PCB from parental sources by the accretion relatively uncontaminated tissue during this period of rapid larval growth. Further, among mature female striped bass, the act of spawning apparently serves to eliminate PCBs from their body tissues. Refs.