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Prepared in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation

Concentration of Elements in Hellbender Blood and Fish Fillets from the 2006 Missouri Department of Conservation Monitoring Programs

By Thomas W. May, Michael J. Walther, William G. Brumbaugh, Jeffrey T. Briggler¹, Yue-wern Huang², and Michael J. McKee¹

Abstract This report presents the results of contaminant monitoring surveys conducted annually by the Missouri Department of Conservation to examine the levels of selected elemental contaminants in hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) blood and fish. Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus, Ictalurus punctatus, Pylodictis olivaris), redhorse (Moxostoma anisorum, Moxostoma erythrurum), bass (Micropterus salmoides, Micropterus punctulatus, Micropterus lacepède, Ambloplites rupestris), walleye (Sander vitreus), and sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) were collected from 17 sites as part of the Department’s General Contaminant Monitoring Program. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and other sunfish (Lepomis megalotis, Lepomis cyanellus) were collected from 18 sites as part of the Department’s Resource Assessment and Monitoring Program. Blood from hellbenders was collected from seven sites as part of the Department’s Hellbender Monitoring Program. 1 Missouri Department of Conservation 2 University of Missouri-Rolla

Posted September 2007 Revised December 2007 Download report (521 kB)