Effects of Metals on Cephalopods

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Apr 2, 2010
Messages
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Im not sure if this is where this belongs, but here goes.

I've read everywhere that copper is fatal for cephs. Is this true for all metals? The reason I ask is that I have just learned (by the mouth of my Chemistry instructor, not an official, scholarly source) that the waterway I have collected all my live food from has been contaminaed with heavy amounts of lead, possibly leading to numorous stillborn manatees in this area, for the past few decades. I have been feeding cuttlefish hatchlings with live shore shrimp from this water source for just over a month now. The cuttles I have been raising are in excellent health condition (to the eye). I have had a 100% survival rate with incredible growth rates.
If there is lead in the water (and passed on to the shore shrimp), what would be the effects on the cuttlefish? Death? I have witnessed no ill effects so far. Is it possible that some trace metals enhance the health of cephs?
It is most probable, in my opinion, that I received false information about the lead contents in the water (as I expect there would be ill effects from lead), but regardless of my situation, I am still curious as to the effects of any metal on cephs, and why this effect takes place.
 
one thing you could try is to test the water. there is a $20 non-specific heavy metal test called SenSafe. i am not sure how accurate or reliable it is. Maybe you could ask on the reefchemistry fourm on reefcentral? if this was a decent test, you may fine you have nothing to worry about. if you do have an issue, you could find alternate food. also, if there is indeed an issue i would think some agency has the test results (maybe the local water company?).
 
I used Google's scholar search engine (Google Scholar) to poke around. There is a lot of research into the bioaccumulation of lead and other heavy metals in cephalopods (because of the concern about those toxins moving up the food chain), but little on the specific toxicity of heavy metals to cuttles. I can only read the abstracts, but it is clear that both cuttles and octopus appear to accumulate higher levels of these heavy metals in their tissue than other organisms in the same polluted water. One study did look at whether the parents passed them to the eggs (which did not appear to be the case). Another looked at whether the eggs allowed the heavy metals through to the hatchlings (which they did not).
 
Thanks for that input and research! I would "like" if I could, but I haven't become a supporter yet (absolutely in my plans though). Hopefully someone else will for me.
It's just something that got me thinking.
 
If you can't find more on cephs, you might see what is available on mollusks, particularly oysters since they are a human food and studied for toxicity. It is only a starting point but there may be more in the literature on this subject and there is likely a relationship.
 
Several years ago we had to quit using crabs and snails from San Francisco Bay to feed our octopus and stomatopods because of heavy metal contamination. If memory serves me correctly, when I posted this Roland added that they had had the same problem with GPO's.

Roy
 

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