A Study of Asymmetry in Mosquitofish Populations in Polluted and Nonpolluted Environments Using a New Scale Staining Technique.

Levels of fluctuating asymmetry were compared in two populations of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) from polluted waters and two populations from nonpolluted waters. Two of the characters studied, pectoral fin rays and lateral line scales, showed no asymmetry in these populations and therefore provided no data for comparisons. A third character, number of pores in the lateral line scales, showed asymmetry in all populations. Asymmetry was quantified in two ways: the absolute difference between counts on left and right sides Id I, and the number of asymmetrical scale pairs, ASP. ASP provided a more sensitive measure of asymmetry than did |d| for this serially repeated character. The levels of asymmetry did not serve as a reliable index of pollution in the four mosquitofish populations. Two of the populations (one polluted, one nonpolluted) had virtually identical asymmetry levels. For these populations at least, lateral line pore asymmetry was influenced by factors other than level of pollution stress. Other possible factors include genetic differences between populations and genetic stress due to inbreeding in one of the populations. 

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Year

1983

Author dc:creator

• Brubaker, J Mark

• Mosquitofish
• Asymmetrical scale pairs
• Lateral line scales
• Nonpolluted waters
• Pollution stress

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/7118

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.library.uab.edu:etd-collection-8110