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The effect of low pH and aluminum on the olfactory organ of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri

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The effects of acid ((H2SO4) and aluminum AIKSO4 in acidified water on rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, olfactory organ were examined using scanning electron microscopy and electrophysiology. Exposure to pH 4.7 resulted in an increase in the number of mucus droplets over parts of the olfactory epithelium, primarily along the ridges of the secondary folds. The addition of aluminum (5.0, 9.5, 20.0 µmol · 1−1) at pH 4.7 resulted in loss of receptor cell cilia, irregularly shaped olfactory knobs, clumped microvilli and swellings on microridge cells. Electrical responses recorded from the olfactory nerve in response to the amino acid L-serine were similar to controls in fish exposed to acidified water. When fish were exposed to acidified water and aluminum the response was depressed. These morphological and electrophysiological changes could be used to indicate metal-induced stress in fish from natural ecosystems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Central and Arctic Region, Freshwater Institute, R3T 2N6, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    Dorthy A. Klaprat, S. B. Brown & Toshiaki J. Hara

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  1. Dorthy A. Klaprat
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  2. S. B. Brown
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  3. Toshiaki J. Hara
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Klaprat, D.A., Brown, S.B. & Hara, T.J. The effect of low pH and aluminum on the olfactory organ of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri . Environ Biol Fish 22, 69–77 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000544

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