Bioaccumulation and interrelationship of manganese and zinc in horse mussel Modiolus modiolus fromEastern Canada

ABSTRACT:   Bioaccumulation and distribution of Mn and Zn in the total softtissues, digestive glands, residuals and adductor muscles of thehorse mussel Modiolus modiolus from three sites, includingindustrialized and non-industrialized locations in Eastern Canada,were investigated. Extremely high digestive gland metal concentrationswere found in individual mussels, as high as 1819 µg/gMn wet weight and 1964 µg/g Zn wet weight,with mean values from 358 to 404 µg/gMn and from 399 to 614 µg/g Zn for thecollection sites. High Mn to Zn interrelationships were observed inall types of tissues and at all sites. Between different tissues,Zn was interrelated by linear relationships, and Mn was best describedby power curve relationships for all tissue types. In the totalsoft tissue, Mn and Zn interrelations were fitted to power regressioncurves with different slopes between the three study sites. Thisindicated that horse mussel was exposed to different metal levels inthe environments and could be useful for monitoring these metals.The uptake of both metals at extremely high concentrations, thelack of regulation and the occurrence of interactions all suggest thatMn and Zn may play a biological role in horse mussels. Zn and Mninteractions, surprisingly, were not disrupted at the very highconcentrations of either metal, which proves that the mechanism ofmetal interactions does not involve a detoxification role.     

Histopathology of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida infection in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L.

Abstract. The histopathology of an atypical Aeromonas salmonicida found in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., is described. Unlike members of the Salmonidae, the cod showed a well-developed host reaction to A. salmonicida involving encystment of the bacteria. When Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were given an intramuscular injection with suspensions of cultures of this strain of A. salmonicida no cellular host reaction was observed. When cod were given a similar injection the bacteria showed degenerative changes, leucocytes accumulated, and cyst formation was seen in the spleen and kidney. Since cod can be infected by this organism the possibility exists that they could act as carriers, a source of infection for salmonids in saltwater cage culture or in the wild.     

Microbiology and histopathology of 'saddleback' disease of underyearling Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

Abstract. Heavy mortalities of underyearling Atlantic salmon parr have occurred at the Mactaquac Fish Culture Station in New Brunswick as the result of 'saddleback' disease. The organism causing this lesion was isolated and identified as Flexibacter columnaris. This bacterium was transmitted to other salmon parr, where it produced the typical saddle lesion from which it was re-isolated. The condition was more readily transmitted at 20°C than at 15°C. Transmission required entrance to the dermis through a break in the epidermal surface and was unsuccessful in intact fish. The morphology of the saddleback isolate and its histopathological effect on the fish tissues is described. F. columnaris appeared to be restricted to the dermis and underlying muscle of the saddle area when histological techniques were used, although it was also isolated from the kidneys of some affected fish. The gills, kidney and other organs of the fish did not seem to be affected by the presence of F. columnaris.