Changes in Morphology and Growth of the Mudskipper (Periophthalmus Argentilineatus) Associated with Coastal Pollution

dc.creatorKruitwagen, Guus
dc.creatorPratap, Harish B.
dc.creatorHecht, Thomas
dc.creatorBonga, Sjoerd W.
dc.date2016-05-11T14:07:15Z
dc.date2016-05-11T14:07:15Z
dc.date2006
dc.date.accessioned2021-05-03T13:28:57Z
dc.date.available2021-05-03T13:28:57Z
dc.descriptionIn this paper a comparison is made between the growth and morphology of barred mudskippers (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) from six mangrove forests along the coast of Tanzania. The fish populations from unpolluted sites consisted of different size classes, whereas only small sized fish were present in the polluted Mtoni mangroves. Age estimation based on the examination of otoliths revealed that the mudskippers followed similar growth patterns in all sites with limited pollution. However, the age estimates from the polluted Mtoni site revealed an abnormal growth pattern. The occurrence of unilateral anophthalmia in the Mtoni mudskippers suggested that these fish were affected by pollutants during early development. The study showed that the presence of urban and industrial wastes from Dar es Salaam city, as indicated by isotopic enrichment, correlated with abnormal growth and developmental effects in mudskippers. We hypothesize that pollution might also affect fish species that use the mangroves as a temporary habitat.
dc.identifierKruitwagen, G., Hecht, T., Pratap, H.B. and Bonga, S.W., 2006. Changes in morphology and growth of the mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) associated with coastal pollution. Marine Biology, 149(2), pp.201-211.
dc.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1955
dc.identifier10.1007/s00227-005-0178-z
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1955
dc.languageen
dc.publisherSpringer Link
dc.titleChanges in Morphology and Growth of the Mudskipper (Periophthalmus Argentilineatus) Associated with Coastal Pollution
dc.typeJournal Article, Peer Reviewed

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