Effect of exposure to cadmium on the tropical freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Abstract

The effect of cadmium (Cd) on mortality, resistance and bioaccumulation in the tropical freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii from Egypt were studied. Survival of prawns exposed to Cd doses over 60 μg l^-1 were sig nificantly lower than that of prawns exposed to lower doses. After 96 h prawns ex posed to >40 μg l^-1 of Cd had a greater reduction in total haemocyte count and phagocytic activity than those exposed to lower concentrations. Bioaccumulation of Cd in the gills, hepatopancreas and muscles was variable. Cadmium accumulated significantly in the gills and hepatopancreas, but Cd accumulation in the muscles increased only marginally. Macrobrachium rosenbergii manifested histopathological alterations in the gills, hepatopancreas and muscles when exposed to various concentrations of cadmium.

Keywords: haemocyte count, survival, toxicity

African Journal of Aquatic Science 2011, 36(3): 253–260