Hello fellow fish people

I am planning experiments testing harmful effects of macroalgal exudates on
fish and fish reproduction.

Sea shores of the Baltic Sea sometimes experience large amounts of red algae
(Polysphonia and Rhodomela) aggregating in the shallows. These algae give
off a toxic compund of still unknown chemistry. My group has already shown
this compound to be harmful to fucoids and invertebrates. Also we know that
the compound(s) is fairly stable over time, and is not an effect of
decomposing.

I plan to investigate whether these algae are harmful to fish, more
specifically if they affect fish reproduction (behavior, eggs and larvae).
Model organisms will probably be gobies of the genus Pomatoschistus.

Does anyone have prior experience with the effects of algae toxins on fish
reproduction, or do you know of any such work?
I have references concerning phytoplankton toxins (e.g. ciguatera effects),
but very little concerning effects of macro algae.

Thankful for any help in this matter

Andreas Svensson
Kalmar University, Sweden

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