Abstract
IN June 1951, stone-loach (Nemacheilus barbatulus L.), which had been kept alive in an aquarium since March 1951, died when it became necessary to replace the water supply, which came from a nearby reservoir with lake-water from Windermere. Chemical analysis showed that the original water contained 0.15 p.p.m. copper (Cu++) whereas the lake-water had 0.28 p.p.m. copper, presumably derived from the inflow pipes. Stone-loach, when placed in water containing copper in solution from nil in steps of 0.05 to 0.30 p.p.m. copper, lived in concentrations less than 0.20 p.p.m. copper, but all except one fish died within twenty-four hours at concentrations of 0.20 p.p.m. and above. It seems reasonably certain, therefore, that the fish died of copper poisoning. This note is published because it may be of practical interest.
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MACKERETH, F., SMYLY, W. Toxicity of Copper in Solution to the Stone-loach. Nature 168, 1130 (1951). https://doi.org/10.1038/1681130b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1681130b0
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