Differences between freshwater and seawater-acclimated guppies in the accumulation and excretion of tri-n-butyltin chloride and triphenyltin chloride

Abstract Differences between freshwater and seawater-acclimated guppies ( Lebistes reticulatus ) in the accumulation and excretion on tri-n-butyltin chloride (Bu 3 SnCl) and triphenyltin chloride (Ph 3 SnCl) were studied. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) of Bu 3 SnCl and Ph 3 SnCl reached plateau values after 7 and 10 days of exposure, respectively, in both types of fish. The BCF values of both Bu 3 SnCl and Ph 3 SnCl (460 and 1100) in the freshwater fish were about twice as high as those (240 and 530) in the seawater-acclimated fish. The excretion rate of Ph 3 SnCl from the seawater-acclimated fish (0.30 day −1 ) was about twice as rapid as that from the freshwater fish (0.13 day −1 ), but there was no difference between the fish in the rate for Bu 3 SnCl (0.35 and 0.32 day −1 ).