Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of Selenium during a Life-Cycle Exposure with Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5033 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Photographs of desert pupfish. Adult male and female (top); eggs (lower left); and larvae (bottom right). Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of Selenium during a Life-Cycle Exposure with Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) By J.M. Besser, W.G. Brumbaugh, D.M. Papoulias, C.D. Ivey, J.L Kunz, M. Annis, and C.G. Ingersoll Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5033 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Marcia K. McNutt, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2012 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. 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Suggested citation: Besser, J.M., Brumbaugh, W.G., Papoulias, D.M., Ivey, C.D., Kunz, J.L, Annis, M. and Ingersoll, C.G., 2012, Bioaccumu- lation and toxicity of selenium during a life-cycle exposure with desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius): U.S. Geologi- cal Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5033, 30 p. with appendixes. iii Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................vi Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Methods...........................................................................................................................................................3 Task 1—Oligochaete Selenium Dosing .............................................................................................3 General Test Conditions ..............................................................................................................3 Range-Finding Study ......................................................................................5 Bioaccumulation Kinetics Study ...............................................................................................5 Dosing Regime Study ..................................................................................................................5 Task 2—Selenium Bioaccumulation and Toxicity in Juvenile and Adult Pupfish ......................5 Pupfish Culture .............................................................................................................................5 Preparation of Selenium-Dosed Diets ......................................................................................5 Pupfish Selenium Exposures .....................................................................................................6 Task 3—Effects of Selenium on Pupfish Reproduction ..................................................................6 Pupfish Reproduction ..................................................................................................................6 Morphological Deformities ........................................................................................................8 Chemical Analysis.................................................................................................................................8 Selenium Analysis........................................................................................................................8 Nutritional Analysis .....................................................................................................................9 Water Quality ................................................................................................................................9 Statistical Analysis ..............................................................................................................................9 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................................................9 Selenium Bioaccumulation by Oligochaetes ...................................................................................9 Range-Finding Study ...................................................................................................................9 Bioaccumulation Kinetics Study ...............................................................................................9 Dosing Regime Study ................................................................................................................10 Selenium Concentrations in Water, Diets, and Pupfish Tissues .................................................10 Selenium Exposure Levels .......................................................................................................10 Pupfish Selenium Bioaccumulation ........................................................................................11 Toxicity of Selenium to Pupfish .........................................................................................................13 Survival and Growth of Juveniles and Adults .......................................................................13 Egg Production ...........................................................................................................................15 Egg Hatching and Larval Survival ...........................................................................................18 Morphological Deformities ......................................................................................................19 Conclusions...................................................................................................................................................21 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................23 Appendix Tables A–E ...................................................................................................................................25 iv Figures 1. Graphs showing effects of dietary selenium levels and feeding rations on oligochaetes in a 13-day range-finding test ...........................................................................10 2. Graphs showing selenium bioaccumulation by oligochaetes fed two rations of Se-dosed yeast diets in a 27-day bioaccumulation study ...................................................11 3. Graphs showing biomass of oligochaetes fed two rations of selenium-dosed yeast in a 27-day bioaccumulation study ...............................................................................11 4. Graphs showing selenium bioaccumulation by oligochaetes fed selenium-dosed yeast in two exposure regimes ................................................................................................12 5. Graphs showing selenium bioaccumulation in desert pupfish whole-body and egg samples during life-cycle selenium exposure: controls and five selenium levels (Se–1 through Se–5) .......................................................................................................14 6. Graph showing selenium bioaccumulation in adult male and adult female desert pupfish and eggs from the main reproduction study ............................................................15 7. Graphs showing egg production by desert pupfish during life-cycle selenium exposure .......................................................................................................................................17 8. Graphs showing variation in desert pupfish egg production among replicate spawning groups ........................................................................................................................17 9. Graph showing differences in desert pupfish egg production between selenium treatments and controls by sampling date .............................................................................18 10. Graph showing egg hatching and larval survival during the main reproduction study ..............................................................................................................................................19 11. Photographs showing normal and deformed pupfish larvae ..............................................20 12. Graph showing frequency of deformities in pupfish larvae from preliminary and main reproduction studies ........................................................................................................21 Tables 1. Total selenium (Se) and selenomethionine (SeMet) concentrations in water, sediment, diet items, and fish from desert pupfish habitats in the Imperial Valley, California ........................................................................................................................................2