Lead effects on tissue and whole organism respiration of the estuarine teleost fish, Gillichthys mirabilis.

Oxygen consumption rates of whole fish and isolated gill tissue were measured using specimens fo Gillichthys mirabilis exposed to lead-dosed sea water for varying periods of time. Whole organism oxygen consumption was significantly higher in lead-exposed fish than in those held for equivalent periods of time in non-leaded sea water. In vitro gil respiration rates were virtually identical for control and lead-exposed fish. Lead-exposed fish were also extremely more active in the aquaria than the control group. These findings suggest that lead-induced metabolic changes may derive more from lead effects on central nervous system coordination of activity and metabolism than from direct effects of lead on intermediary metabolism enzymes in each cell.