Acute exposition of common snook juveniles to sublethal levels of nitrate

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate nitrate acute toxicity in cultured common snook Centropomus undecimalis juveniles. Fish (20.35±6.10 g and 13.90±1.75 cm) were submitted to a control treatment (without nitrate addition) plus 20 increasing concentrations of nitrate up to 2735 mg L-1 obtained by sodium nitrate. System was semi-static, with 100 % daily water renewed and sodium nitrate addition to maintain the respective concentrations. Water temperature was 20.99±0.55 °C, dissolved oxygen 6.79±0.21 mg L-1, pH 8.23±0.10, alkalinity 141.80±7.68 mg L-1 CaCO3, salinity 33.47±3.75 g L-1, total ammonia and nitrite less than 1 mg L-1. During experimental period (96 h), no mortalities were observed in fish with or without nitrate addition. Compared to other species, the common snook presents higher tolerance to nitrate exposition. Based on the present findings, the acute nitrate exposure up to 2735 mg L-1 does not present lethal risk for common snook juveniles.