Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Biology
Journal Title
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Pub Date
9-2-2016
Publisher
Canadian Science Publishing
Volume
74
Issue
4
First Page
524
Abstract
We show that goldfish (Carassius auratus) voluntarily ingest liquid canola oil at the surface of the water and can swallow significant quantities of oil. The ability of fish to separate floating oil from water has not been tested previously, and the mechanisms used to retain oil in the form of suspended droplets, globules, or a surface film are unknown. Chromatograms of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) prepared from gut samples confirmed that goldfish were able to obtain a substantial proportion of their daily lipid intake from canola oil at the surface of laboratory aquaria. Quantification of goldfish suspension-feeding, processing, and spitting behavior suggested that upper jaw protrusion with a closed mouth during processing was important for the handling of different food types, including oil. Crossflow filtration and the generation of vortices could be involved in oil retention by goldfish, as these processes are used industrially to separate oil from water. These results have implications for the uptake of hydrophobic pollutants and dietary lipids at the surface by suspension-feeding fishes.
Recommended Citation
Edwards, Kristin; Rice, Gary; and Sanderson, S. Laurie, Separating oil from water: suspension-feeding goldfish ingest liquid vegetable oil (2016). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 74(4), 524-532.
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0197
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0197
Publisher Statement
Edwards, K, Rice, Sanderson, S. 2017. Separating oil from water: suspension-feeding goldfish ingest liquid vegetable oil. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 74. 4: 524-532.
This is the accepted manuscript version of the article.
