Latent Effects of Pulse Exposure to Aluminum and Low pH on Size, Ionic Composition, and Feeding Efficiency of Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Alevins

Abstract

No mortality of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) embryos occurred during 5 d of exposure to aluminum concentrations of 0, 100, and 200 μg∙L−1in low-pH (pH 5.0) water or during 21- and 32-d recovery periods, but alevins from the high-Al exposure were smaller in length, had less calcified skeletons, had reduced (18–22%) whole-body concentrations of Ca2+and K+, and were less effective predators on Daphnia magna. These latent effects of pulse exposure to acidic Al-rich water may help explain the disappearance of lake trout populations from lakes with relatively high ambient pH.