Total mercury in female Pacific sharpnose sharks Rhizoprionodon longurio and their embryos

We determined the Hg content of blood, placenta and umbilical cord of 20 pregnant females of the viviparous Pacific sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon longurio and of the livers of the embryos contained in their right and left uterus, aiming to provide information on the amount of this metal offloaded during pregnancy by the mother to the embryos. Hg content varied by close or higher than one order of magnitude in all tissues and showed the decreasing trend: maternal blood > umbilical cord > placenta > embryonic livers, with placenta and embryonic livers significantly lower than maternal blood. There were highly significant correlations (P < 0.001) between the Hg content of maternal blood, cord, and placenta. Those between embryonic livers and maternal blood, cord and placenta were not significant (P > 0.05). The results suggest transplacental Hg transfer and that the liver is not the main site of Hg accumulation

Histological effects of Cu2+ to white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Crustacea: Decapoda) juveniles at low salinities

Juveniles of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were exposed during 25 days to the Cu2+ concentration commonly used in Mexican shrimp farms, at salinities of 1, 5, and 10 psu, in order to observe possible histological alterations to the antennal glands, midgut, gills and hepatopancreas. Survival was 100% in controls and treatments, and no histopathologies were observed in gills, midgut and antennal glands. Sloughing of epithelial cells (< 75%), infiltration of hemocytes (< 75%) and reduction in R and B cells (100%) were observed after 10 days in the hepatopancreas of shrimps exposed to Cu2+ at the lowest salinity and, to a lower degree, at salinities of 5 and 10 psu. This should be taken into consideration to establish criteria of acceptable water quality for inland aquaculture, because the interaction metal-salinity may induce adverse shrimp responses.Juveniles del camarón blanco Litopenaeus vannamei fueron expuestos durante 25 días a salinidades de 1, 5, y 10 ups y a la concentración de Cu2+ que se usa comúnmente en las granjas camaronícolas de México, con el propósito de observar posibles alteraciones histológicas en la glándula antenal, intestino medio, branquias y hepatopáncreas. La supervivencia fue de 100% en controles y tratamientos y no se observaron histopatologías en branquias, intestino y glándula antenal. Después de 10 días de exposición al Cu2+ a la salinidad más baja, se observaron en el hepatopáncreas desprendimiento de las células epiteliales (< 75%), infiltración de hemocitos (< 75%), y una reducción de las células R y B (100%). Las mismas alteraciones se presentaron, aunque en menor grado, a las salinidades de 5 y 10 ups. Estos efectos deberían ser considerados para establecer criterios de calidad de agua para el cultivo de camarón en agua continentales, debido a que la interacción metal-salinidad puede inducir respuestas adversas en los camarones