Gonadal Disorder in the Thinlip Grey Mullet ( Liza ramada, Risso 1827) as a Biomarker of Environmental Stress in Surface Waters

Lorenzo Tancioni, Riccardo Caprioli, Ayad Hantoosh Dawood Al-Khafaji, Laura Mancini, Clara Boglione, Eleonora Ciccotti and Stefano Cataudella
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Lorenzo Tancioni: Laboratorio di Ecologia Sperimentale ed Acquacoltura, Dipartimento di Biologia, "Tor Vergata" University, Rome (RM), Via Cracovia 1 00134, Italy
Riccardo Caprioli: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo (TE), Italy
Ayad Hantoosh Dawood Al-Khafaji: Department of Biology, College of Science, Basrah University, Basrah 61004, Iraq
Laura Mancini: Dipartimento di Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, National Institute of Health (ISS), Via Regina Elena 299, Roma (RM) 00181, Italy
Clara Boglione: Laboratorio di Ecologia Sperimentale ed Acquacoltura, Dipartimento di Biologia, "Tor Vergata" University, Rome (RM), Via Cracovia 1 00134, Italy
Eleonora Ciccotti: Laboratorio di Ecologia Sperimentale ed Acquacoltura, Dipartimento di Biologia, "Tor Vergata" University, Rome (RM), Via Cracovia 1 00134, Italy
Stefano Cataudella: Laboratorio di Ecologia Sperimentale ed Acquacoltura, Dipartimento di Biologia, "Tor Vergata" University, Rome (RM), Via Cracovia 1 00134, Italy

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of gonadal alterations in the thinlip grey mullet ( Liza ramada ) as a biological indicator in assessing aquatic ecosystems health, with particular emphasis to river ecosystems exposed to sewage discharges. For this purpose, the reproductive status and the presence of gonadal alterations were studied in 206 mullets collected from two sites on the low course of the Tiber River, downstream of a large urban sewage treatment plant and in the estuarine area, and from an uncontaminated pond considered as reference site. Intersex and irregularly shaped gonads were observed in 20.8% of the mullets from the most polluted site, and intersex gonads in 10.3% of those from the estuarine area. No alterations were detected in the fish from the reference site, which also showed distinct stages of gonadal development. Conversely, unclear stages of testicular and ovary development were observed in the fish from the two polluted river sites. The results of this study suggest that L. ramada may represent a sentinel species in environmental risk assessment and support the use of gonadal alterations of this species as a bioindicator for extensive monitoring of pollution in lower stretches of rivers and estuarine areas.

Keywords: fish; mugilidae; gonadal disorders; bioindicators; water pollution; biomonitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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