HORMONAL, MORPHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF YELLOW PERCH (Perca flavescens) TO CHRONIC ENVIRONMENTAL METAL EXPOSURES

The effects of a chronic environmental exposure to metals on the hormonal, physiological, and reproductive status were assessed in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) sampled in six lakes situated along a contamination gradient of Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Ni in the mining region of Rouyn-Noranda, Québec. Fish were captured in the summer and fall, and sampled before or after a confinement of one hour. Metal concentrations in the kidneys and the …