Bioaccumulating substances and reproductive success in baltic flounder platichthys flesus

Abstract Running ripe Baltic flounder Piatichthys flesus were caught with a bottom trawli. Eggs were stripped and artificially inseminated and incubated in Baltic sea water at 6.8 °C and a salinity of 27.5% After hatching, siraight and viable appearing larvae — viable hatch — were determined. Ovary and liver samples of the female parental fish were collected and analyzed for chlorinated hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Viable hatch was significantly affected at ovary chlorinated hiphenyl (PCB) levels higher than 120 ng/g wet weight. Thus 120 ng/g PCB was designated a threshold level in flounder eggs. above which reduced survival of developing eggs and larvas can be expected. Other chlorinated hydrocaihons. and metals did not show any correlation between ovary and/or liver contamination levels and viable hatch. The melhod employed is deemed to be a promising tool for the assessment of pollution effects on marine biola.