title: Possible chemical causes of skeletal deformities in natural populations of Aphanius fasciatus collected from the Tunisian coast.
abstract: This study attempt to quantify and identify skeletal deformities in natural populations of Aphanius fasciatus collected from the Tunisian coast and tends to found a possible relationship between these anomalies and several types of pollutants presents in the environment. Fish were collected from one reference area (S1: coast of Luza) and three polluted areas (S2: industrialized coast of Sfax, S3: coast of Khniss and S4: Hamdoun'Oued). Various patterns of skeletal deformities were diagnosed using double staining technics, and the levels of heavy metals (Cd, Cu and Zn), various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and estrogenic compounds were determined in water and sediment from different sites. Spatio-temporal variation of the spinal deformities frequencies in A. fasciatus show that high incidence of spinal anomalies has been recorded in population collected from S2 in comparison to three other ones. Morphological results indicated that skeletal deformities of adult A. fasciatus were grouped into 13 categories that described abnormalities on spines, vertebrae, arcs and mandibles. A total of 1025 abnormalities were quantified. The results of chemical analysis showed that the levels of heavy metals and PAHs were significantly higher in S2 than in S1, S3 and S4. High level of estrogenic activity was observed only in S4. A possible correlation between environmental exposures to a mixture of pollutants in coastal waters in S2 and spinal deformities in A. fasciatus was suggested.
authors.affiliation: LR11ES41: Génétique, Biodiversité et Valorisation des Bioressources, Institut de Biotechnologie, Université de Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia. kaoutharkessabi@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Kaouthar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kessabi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Annabi
authors.forename: Aziza Ibn Hadj
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Hassine
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bazin
authors.forename: Wissem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mnif
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Said
authors.forename: Imed
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Messaoudi
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007695:Killifishes; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities; D014416:Tunisia; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical