Pentachlorophenol and Reduced Food Intake of Bluegill

During the final 10 d of a 22-d subchronic exposure of bluegills Lepomis macrochirus to a pentachlorophenol (PCP) concentration of 173 μg/L, bluegill growth rate significantly decreased by 75% when compared with untreated controls, and food intake declined significantly (29%). At a PCP concentration of 48 μg/L, growth rate was significantly reduced by 26%, but food intake showed a nonsignificant decline. Pentachlorophenol-induced decreases in food intake make this species especially vulnerable to the growth-perturbing effects of the toxicant.