You are here:
COMPARATIVE SENSITIVITY OF THE SHEEPSHEAD MINNOW AND ENDANGERED PUPFISHES
Citation:
Mayer Jr., F L., J. BreckenFolse, M. R. Ellersieck, L. C. Sappington, AND D. R. Buckler. COMPARATIVE SENSITIVITY OF THE SHEEPSHEAD MINNOW AND ENDANGERED PUPFISHES. Presented at SETAC 23d Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, November 16 - 20, 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
Conference presentation
Description:
Standard environmental assessment procedures are assumed to protect aquatic species, including endangered ones. However, it is not known if endangered species are adequately protected by these procedures. To test the validity of this assumption, static acute toxicity tests were conducted to compare the sensitivity of sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) to two federally listed fishes, the desert (Cyprinodon macularius) and Leon Springs (C. bovinus) pupfishes. Chemicals used were carbaryl, copper, 4-nonylphenol, pentachlorophenol, and permethrin. Sheepshead minnows and pupfishes were found to be of similar sensitivity to the test chemicals, with sheepshead minnows being slightly more sensitive, in most cases.
Additional margins of safety do not appear to be necessary to protect the listed pupfishes, and, thus, the assumption that normal risk assessment procedures would be applicable in assessing hazards to these species seems validated.