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Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish
Published on: March 6, 2014
Weakly electric fish for biomonitoring water quality
Juergen Clausen1, Roeland van Wijk, Henning Albrecht
1Karl und Veronica Carstens-Stiftung, Am Deimelsberg 36,45276 Essen, Germany. info@Carstens-Stiftung.de
Environmental Technology
|August 4, 2012
Summary
Weakly electric fish offer a sensitive biomonitoring system for detecting environmental pollutants in water. Their electric organ discharge frequency changes with toxicant concentration, enabling detection at nanomolar levels.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecotoxicology
- Biomonitoring
Background:
- Environmental pollution from municipal and industrial sources is a growing concern.
- Conventional pollutant detection methods are limited to specific, known chemicals.
- Biological systems offer a broad-range response to environmental changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review literature on biomonitoring using weakly electric fish.
- To compare the advantages and disadvantages of this biomonitoring system.
- To summarize the lowest detectable toxicant concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of biomonitoring studies.
- Analysis of 18 publications.
- Investigation of 35 different chemical substances.
- Use of six different species of weakly electric fish.
Main Results:
- Weakly electric fish are effective biomonitors for municipal and industrial water quality.
- Electric organ discharge frequency correlates with water quality.
- Detection of toxicants at concentrations as low as the nanomolar range is achievable.
Conclusions:
- Weakly electric fish provide a sensitive and broad-range biomonitoring tool.
- This method allows for the detection of a wide array of chemical substances.
- Further research can refine the application of electric fish in environmental monitoring.
