The relationship between heavy metal (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Pb) levels and the size of benthic, benthopelagic and pelagic fish species, Persian Gulf

The concentration of heavy metals was determined in tissues of sole (Euryglossa orientalis), mullet (Liza abu) and croacker fish (Johnius belangerii) from Musa estuary. Generally, the highest concentration of the studied metals in the three species was found in the liver tissue. The levels of Cd and Cu in fish liver were J. belangerii = E. orientalis > L. abu and E. orientalis > L. abu > J. belangerii respectively. The concentrations of Cd and Cu in fish gills were E. orientalis > L. abu = J. belangerii and E. orientalis > L. abu > J. belangerii, respectively, and the level of Cu in muscle was E. orientalis > L. abu = J. belangerii. The results of linear regression analysis indicated that highly significant (p < 0.001) negative relationships were found between fish size and Cd concentrations in the liver of L. abu and Pb in the gills of J. belangerii.