Japanese scientists use goldfish to screen for freshwater pollution

mongabay ^ | December, 17, 2008

[JoeProBono]

Coal miners used canaries to warn them of noxious gases for generations. Today's substitute may be the everyday goldfish: it can act as an aquatic canary to warn scientists when something bad is brewing in the waters, according to new research.

[JoeProBono]

A new study combines several environmental screens into one species of goldfish. Goldfish can adapt to any freshwater environment, says researcher Yuya Deguchi of Nagasaki International University in Japan. This trait, along with their size, makes goldfish an ideal model species to observe, Deguchi says. His team bought 10 male goldfish and exposed them to water from the Ho River near the region’s textile dyeing factory. In the laboratory, five goldfish swam in water collected upstream of the factory; the other five swam in water collected downstream. Earlier laboratory screens using Salmonella revealed carcinogens in this river, but the team expanded its study to track three biological measurements: damage to the fishes’ DNA; synthesis of a protein normally only seen in the livers of females; and production of enzymes associated with certain pollutants ...

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[remaxagnt]

peta cant be happy about this!!!!!!

[Loud Mime]

Some do not survive the test.

[JoeProBono]

[TRY ONE]

Sounds fishy to me....

[JoeProBono]

[CodeToad]

NORAD’s has been using fish that way for years. What’s so new?

[earlJam]

ELAINE: Please drive us around the parking lot to find our car. My fish are dying.

MAN #2 Can’t do it.

ELAINE I can see not caring what happens to us, we’re human. But what about the fish? The fish?

[Daffynition]

[JoeProBono]

Oh yeah

[JoeProBono]