The use of fish parasites in Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) and long tail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) from coastal Terengganu as sensitive indicatorsof heavy metals bioaccumulation

Abstract

Two systems of host-parasites were evaluated in order to examine the parasites as potential sensitive indicator of heavy metal bioaccumulation in ninety Rastrelliger kanagurta, Indian mackerel and nineteen Thunnus tonggol, long tail tuna from coastal Terengganu. The digenetic trematodes Lecithocladium sp. were collected from intestine and stomach of mackerel while the acanthocephalans Echinorhynchus sp. were collected in the liver of long tail tuna. All samples including muscle, intestine, liver and kidney of both fish collected were acid-digested followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements in order to obtain the levels of Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, Se, Pb, Al, Mn, Cd, Co, Cu, As and Hg in each sample.