Abstract
THE epidermal mucus of fish regulates swimming speed by controlling the hydrodynamic resistance of the skin surface1,2. The mucus is also presumed to serve as a defence against pathogenic organisms and is intimately associated with osmoregulation3,4. Because water-borne lead and mercury accumulate in the epidermal mucus of fish5,6, it is important to ascertain whether this phenomenon produces deleterious alterations in the mucus. No detailed information is, however, available to evaluate whether such alterations occur on exposure of fish to lead and mercury or whether a capability exists to depurate these metals.
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VARANASI, U., ROBISCH, P. & MALINS, D. Structural alterations in fish epidermal mucus produced by water-borne lead and mercury. Nature 258, 431–432 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/258431a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/258431a0
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