Hatching success and larval mortality in an estuarine teleost,Menidia menidia (Linnaeus), exposed to cadmium in constant and fluctuating salinity regimes

In view of cyclic fluctuations in salinity that may accompany tidal changes in an estuary, it was decided to determine the influence of a periodic, fluctuating salinity regime on the hatching success of Menidia embryos exposed to cadmium and on the survival of resulting larvae and to compare these responses with those of embryos and larvae exposed to cadmium at a number of fixed salinities. This undertaking is part of a continuing project to evaluate the influence of environmental factors on the responses of eggs and larvae of marine teleosts to heavy metal poisoning. This represents an attempt to develop an alternative method that may be more useful to regulatory agencies than the presently used standard bioassay methods.