Fish as Reference Species in Different Water Masses: chapter 13
Abstract
Assessing water quality is an essential prerequisite for good water body management. In this respect, fish are excellent sentinel species and have proven their usefulness for more than a century. Although the initial use of fish was restricted to acute toxicity testing, recent developments of methodologies, equipment, techniques, and concepts have led to integrated studies that encompass molecular, physiological, and ecological knowledge and tools. Efforts have been made to link these different levels of organization, and the results largely contributed to our understanding of the mechanism of action of chemicals in a complex set of environmental stressors and conditions.