Differences in Organochlorine Accumulation in Masu Salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou between Fluvial and Sea-run Forms

摘要

Masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou divides into two life histories after a year of life in the river, the sea-run form and the fluvial form. Since salmons are anadromous, the sea-run form salmons are known to pollute the river sediments during spawning migration. In this study, we have studied the accumulation of organochlorines in the fluvial form as well as the sea-run form, and discussed their differences. In order to elucidate the accumulation patterns of organochlorines in both the fluvial and sea-run form masu salmons, the concentrations of organochlorines were determined in the muscle of both life histories. The organochlorines in the sea-run form were 7 to 21 times higher than those of fluvial form. Since salmons are semelparous, the carcasses of polluted sea-run form pollute the river sediments. The trans-nonachlor/trans-chlordane (N/C) ratio in the fluvial form (1.93) was significantly lower than that of sea-run form (23.8). This indicates that the fluvial form is polluted by comparatively newly input chemicals. These results suggest that sea-run form masu salmons have the potential to pollute the river sediments secondarily as vectors, but from the difference in N/C ratio between the two forms, the fluvial fish does not seem to be polluted by those organochlorine compounds of sea-run fish origin yet.