Publication Abstract

Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) as a valuable fish species to assess quality of freshwater ecosystems using a set of biochemical biomarkers

Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) as a valuable fish species to assess quality of freshwater ecosystems using a set of biochemical biomarkers

Wilfried Sanchez¹, Ioanna Katsiadaki², Benjamin Piccini¹, Marie-Estelle Gouze¹, Sélim Aït-Aïssa¹, Jean-Maxence Ditche³ et Jean-Marc Porcher¹

1. Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), Unité d’évaluation des risques écotoxicologiques, BP 2, 60550 Verneuil en Halatte, France. wilfried.sanchez@ineris.fr
2. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8UB, United Kingdom.
3. Conseil Supérieur de la Pêche (CSP), Délégation régionale n°1, 60200 Compiègne, France.

Stickleback is a pollution-tolerant fish which inhabit most European streams. It has been proposed as a suitable fish species for detecting endocrine disruption induced by environmental pollutants. The aim of this study was to evaluate stickleback as a sentinel fish species to assess quality of freshwater ecosystems using a set of biochemical biomarkers (EROD, glutathione transferase, antioxidant parameters, lipoperoxidation, vitellogenin, spiggin and acetylcholinesterase). The seasonal variability of biomarkers was evaluated in an uncontaminated stream. Then, sticklebacks were collected in seven streams characterised by various contaminations. Biomarkers showed different response profiles in contaminated and uncontaminated sites and allowed to discriminate between sampling streams. Biomarker data were integrated in a specific biomarker based index and compared to other environmental data including physico-chemical analysis in water, in vitro estrogenic and dioxin-like activities in water and sediments and biodiversity index. The value of stickleback as a sentinel fish species for freshwater biomonitoring will be discussed. 

Reference

Wilfried Sanchez, Ioanna Katsiadaki*, Benjamin Piccini, Marie-Estelle Gouze, Sélim Aït-Aïssa, Jean-Maxence Ditche and Jean-Mark Porcher (2007) Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) as a valuable fish species to assess quality of freshwater ecosystems using a set of biochemical biomarkers, 17th annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Porto, May 2007.

Wilfried Sanchez, Ioanna Katsiadaki*, Benjamin Piccini, Marie-Estelle Gouze, Sélim Aït-Aïssa, Jean-Maxence Ditche and Jean-Mark Porcher

17th annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Porto, May 2007.