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Effects of ammonia on fertilized eggs and resulting sac fry of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) were tested at concentrations of un-ionized ammonia ranging from 0.05 to 0.37 mg/liter (as NH3 - N). Exposure was continuous throughout the incubation period and for 42 days thereafter. There was no differential egg mortality or effect on incubation period. The lowest concentration of 0.05 mg/liter NH3 - N caused some retardation of early growth and development and 0.1 mg/liter caused similar but more severe effects throughout most of the test period. Hypertrophy of secondary gill lamellae epithelium occurred at 0.19 mg/liter. Karyolysis and karyorrhexis occurred in the same tissue at 0.28 mg/liter. Pale coloration and blue-sac disease occurred in sac fry at concentrations of 0.19 mg/liter and higher. The estimated incipient LC50 (lethal threshold concentration) for rainbow trout sac fry was 0.25 mg/liter NH3 - N.
Burkhalter et al. (Thu,) studied this question.