Behavioural and metabolic effects of chronic exposure to sublethal aluminum in acidic soft water in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Triplicate groups of 15 softwater-acclimated juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were randomly allocated to one of three treatments: pH 6.5 with no aluminum, pH 5.2 with no aluminum, and pH 5.2 with 30 mu g labile aluminum.L-1. The aluminum dose was sublethal and continued for 34 days. Treatment effects on swimming behaviour, metabolism, feeding, food conversion efficiency, and blood parameters were determined. Fish exposed to aluminum displayed hypoactivity that was statistically distinct from both control groups from day 1 onwards. Exposure to acid alone elicited no behavioural effects. There were no significant differences in metabolic rates between the treatment groups. Feeding rates of the fish exposed to aluminum became depressed, reaching a minimum on day 15, and gradually recovered thereafter, but never to the preexposure levels. Swimming behaviour was a more sensitive index of exposure to aluminum than feeding. Fish exposed to aluminum had significantly fewer red blood cells and lower haematocrit than the controls, indicating haemodilution. Aluminum is known to act as a respiratory toxicant, restricting aerobic scope. In addition, these data suggest that fish respond to aluminum exposure by reducing metabolically costly activities such as routine swimming behaviour to allow for the increased maintenance costs associated with acclimation and damage repair.