Bioaccumulation of mercury in predatory fish from Amapá State, Brazil.

Resumo

Bioaccumulation of Hg in aquatic systems varies considerably according to the food chain structure and age of fish. As fishes are an important food resource in the Amazon region, common species of carnivorous and piscivorous fish in Amapá State were analyzed for contamination by Mercury. Specifically, the influence of standard length and weight of individuals on the observed Hg concentrations was investigated and used to evaluate whether bioaccumulation rates vary among different species. The fishes were collected from five locations in Amapá State between August 2017 and May 2018. We measured the total mercury content in 204 specimens representing nine carnivorous/piscivorous species of fishes: Serrasalmus rhombeus, Plagioscion squamosissimus, Megalops atlanticus, Hoplias malabaricus, Cichla monoculus, Brachyplatystoma vaillantii, Boulengerella cuvieri, Ageneiosus inermis and Hoplias aimara. All fishes had some level of Hg contamination and the potential for bioaccumulation of this contaminant varied among species. A positive relationship between weight and/or length and the total body Hg concentration was observed only for Serrasalmus rhombeus, Hoplias malabaricus, Cichla monoculus and Brachyplatystoma vaillantii.