7759

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7759
• Author: Beyers, D. W. and M. S. Farmer.
• Title: Effects of Copper and Zinc on Olfaction of Colorado Squawfish as Estimated by Behavioral Assay.
• USFW Year: 1994.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

that interference from ciliated epithelial cells was greater in
toxicant-exposed fish compared to controls. Therefore, the
systematic survey should have prevented introduction of
investigator bias.
Discussion
A variety of methods have been used to evaluate effects of
potential contaminants on olfaction of fishes, coincidently, the
level of biological organization used to assess adverse effects
has varied (Sutterlin 1974; Brown et al. 1982; Hara et al. 1983;
Brand and Bruch 1992; Klaprat et al. 1992). Biochemical studies
have suggested mechanisms responsible for toxicant effects and
provided insight into the dynamics of toxification at the
subcellular level. Histopathological and electron microscopy
studies have provided evidence of toxicant-induced injury at the
cellular level. Electrophysiology studies have demonstrated
effects at the cellular and organ level, and behavioral studies
have studied effects at the level of the individual. With
exception of electrophysiological studies, experimental
techniques that operate at sub-individual levels of biological
organization infer olfactory inhibition by observation of
structural changes in olfactory tissues; however, severity of
structural changes may not reflect degree of inhibition of
olfactory function. Electrophysiological studies measure
olfactory function, but they do not allow the organism to
13