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TOXICITY OF ENDOSULFAN ON FRESHWATER FISH CHANNA STRIATUS

Ganeshwade R.M.*, Dama L.B.**, Deshmukh D.R.***, Ghanbahadur A. G.***, Sonawane S.R.****
* Department of Zoology, P.D.V.P. College Tasgaon, Dist. Sangli, Maharashtra, India.
** Department of Zoology, D.B.F. Dayanand College of Arts and Science, Solapur, Maharashtra, India.
***Department of Zoology, Pratishthan Mahavidyalaya Paithan Dist. Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India.
****Department of Zoology, RNC Arts, JDR Commerce and NSC Science College, Nashik, Maharashtra, India.
****Department of Zoology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India.
(*Email: rmganeshwade@gmail.com)
ABSTRACT
An attempt was made to study the acute toxicity of Endosulfan to the freshwater food fish Channa striatus. The LC50
for 96hrs was 0.0035 ppm and fishes were exposed to this concentration. Behavioral and morphological changes
were observed during acute exposure.
KEY WORDS: Behavior, Channa striatus, Endosulfan, Toxicity,
INTRODUCTION
Endosulfan [Thiodon (R)6,7,8,9,10,10 hexachloro 1-5 5a,6,9,9a hexahydro,6,9, methano-2,4,3- benzodioxathiepine 3oxide] is an organochlorine insecticide used extensively in the Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India, for controlling
pests of cotton. Endosulfan is registered as a fish toxicant (French et al., 1957) and the toxicity of this compound is
studied by several workers on freshwater and marine water fish (Gorbach et al., 1971; Herzel and Ludeman, 1971).
These studies are very important as the differences in pesticide toxicity among various fish may be due to differences in
their capacity to detoxify the compound (Buchler, 1966). Indiscriminate application of these pesticides in order to
increase food production may affect non target organisms including economically important food fishes and other
biotic ecosystem. Many researchers carried out he toxic effects on different animals by Mane et al., (1984),
Thombsingh et al., (1984), Shathakumar et al., (2000) and Ganeshwade et al., (2002). Very little literature is available
on Endosulfan toxicity on freshwater fish Channa striatus, hence the present work is carried out to study behavioral
and morphological changes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The healthy food fish Channa striatus were collected from Kham River near Aurangabad city, M.S. India and were
brought to laboratory without any mechanical injury. The fishes were acclimatized to the laboratory conditions for a
week. During the period of acclimatization the fishes were feed with pieces of earthworms. Aerated and aged water was
used to maintain the fish. The physical parameters of test water are shown in the Table No. 1 and are analyzed by using
standard methods APHA (2008).
The toxicity tests to calculate LC50 for 96 hrs is carried out by desired concentration of Endosulfan, prepared by adding
the stock solution (100ml) of the pesticide in acetone. The pilot tests were performed for the selection of test
concentration. The range of concentration selected in such a way it results 0-100% mortality. Water was changed for
every 24 hrs to maintain the concentration of pesticide. On the basis of the results of pilot tests series of different
concentration grade were prepared. The ten healthy fishes were tested for each concentration for 96 hrs. The bioassays
were started in the morning and behavioral changes were noted. The mortality and survival was recorded after every
24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs. The percent mortality of each duration was converted in to Probit values and plotted against log
of concentration (Ghosh, 1962). The LC50 values for different durations were calculated by the method of probit
analysis (Finny, 1964) and summarized in the Table 2.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The fishes when exposed to the concentrations of the pesticide, the fish shows irritation, very fast movements of
operculum, violent action of pelvic fins and spreading of the fins. The excess mucus secretion was observed from the
body surface, loss of equilibrium (Table 3). Similar results were observed by Ahmed and Srivastava (1983) in
Cirrhinus mrigala, Punctius sophore, Mystus vittatus and Notopterus notopterus to phenol and pentachlorophenol
exposure. The results clearly shows tha the relationship between log of concentration and ampirical probability is
positive and linear indicating that the percentage mortality increased with an increase in toxicant concentration and also
the duration of exposure.

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Table 1. Physical and chemical parameters of water used for toxicity test
Sr. No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Parameters
Temperature
Acidity
Alkalinity
Total hardness
Dissolved oxygen
pH
Weight of the fish
Length of the fish

23o C (22 -25oC)

4.7ppm
28.2ppm
62 ppm
5.1 ppm
7.9
50gm
19 cm

Table 2. Summary of toxicity test result with Endosulfan. (Normal laboratory conditions)
Sr. No.

Conc. in
ppm

1
0.0029
2
0.0031
3
0.0033
4
0.0035
5
0.0052
6
0.0070
7
0.0087
8
0.0100
LC50 24 hours
LC50 48 hours
LC50 72 hours
LC50 96 hours

24 hours

=
=
=
=

S
M
100
00
100
00
100
00
80
20
40
60
80
20
60
40
00
100
0.0049ppm
0.0042 ppm
0.0038 ppm
0.0035 ppm

% Survival and Mortality

48 hours
72 hours
S
M
S
M
100
00
100
00
100
00
100
00
100
00
60
40
60
40
60
40
40
60
40
60
40
60
40
60
60
40
20
80
00
100
00
100
S = survival
M= mortality

96 hours.
S
M
100
00
100
00
80
20
40
60
20
80
60
40
20
80
00
100

Table 3. Showing physical reaction of Channa striatus to Endosulfan.

Sr. No.
1
2
3
4
5

Behavioral changes
Irritation
Fast opercular movements
Violent actions of pelvic fin and spreading of the fins
Loss of equilibrium
Mucus covering

The reaction and survival of aquatic animals depend not only on the biological state of the animals and
physicochemical characteristics of water but also on the toxicity and time exposure to the toxicant. In the present study
the LC50 for 96hrs was found to be 0.0035 ppm.
Carpenter (1927) was the first to observe the lethal effects of Zn salts on fishes. She introduced the concept [t of coagulation anoxia in fishes where a film of co-agulated mucus was observed all over the body when exposed to Zn
toxicity. Bhattacharya and Mukherjee (1978) reported that the industrial effluent affects the normal vision, proper body
motion and behavior of the organism. Nagendran and Shakuntala (1979) observed significant increase in the opercular
activity of Puntius ticto exposed to sublethal content of NaPClP (Sodium Pentachloro Phenate). Durve and Jain (1980)
observed almost similar behavioural changes in Rasbora daniconius when exposed to distillery effluents. Murthy and
Rao (1983) observed gills become pale red, high mucus secretion, irregular and erratic movement, parallel movements
and more surfacing phenomenon in Tillapia. Khalaf (1990) studied acute and chronic toxicity of organochlorine,
organophosphate and carbamate pesticides to freshwater fish S. mossambicus. Ganeshwade et. al., (2002) observed
dark blackish dorsal side, gills became pale red, excess secretion of mucus, irregular and erratic movements, imbalance
and increased opercular movements in the freshwater fish Puntius ticto under dimethoate toxicity. A Similar result was
observed in Channa striatus during present work. Same results on morphological and behavioural changes were
observed by Sonawane and Nikam (2000), Peshine and Kurve (2000) Santhakumar, et. al., (2000 )and Santhakumar
and Balaji (2000)
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2012 DAMA International. All rights reserved.

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Behavioural response of Channa striatus to Endosulfan pesticide in initial stage of exposure showed violent
movements but as time progressed they started to lose equilibrium, which might be due to accumulation of Ach content
at nerve ending and neuromast organs (Kutty et. al., 1976).The exact cause of death is not fully explained as a number
of channels are operating simultaneously. The severe physiological stress at cellular level seems to be responsible for
the death of fish.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are very much thankful to the Prof and Head, Department of the Zoology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada
University Aurangabad for providing laboratory facilities.
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