Fecundity and Trace-Metal Content of Creek Chubs from a Metal-Contaminated Stream

Abstract Creek chubs Semotilus atromaculatus from a metal-contaminated stream and a nearby clean stream in Richland County, Ohio, were studied to define the effects of chronic urban pollution on fecundity and tissue metal concentrations. Polluted waters had higher concentrations of total Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn than control stream samples. Mean whole-body concentrations of Cr (5.3 μg/g dry weight) and Zn (166 μg/g) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in fish from polluted sites than in fish from some control stream segments, but these differences were much less than differences in total metal concentrations at the respective sites, indicating little metal uptake by the fish, and probably low bioavailability of the metals. Fecundity of creek chubs was similar at polluted and control sites. Fecundity may not be a good gauge of toxicant stress, at least for creek chubs, but this study points up the need to distinguish between total metals and those that are in a biologically available form when field studies...