Whole-Body Toxic Metals and Morphometric Measurements in Brown Shrimp <i>Penaeus aztecus</i> in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Fishing of the brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus is an important socioeconomic activity, generating income and different jobs for the fishing sector; however, this species is exposed to contaminants such as toxic metals. The objective of this research was to determine the concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ni in brown shrimp P. aztecus from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, and to analyse morphometric measurements in this species. The determination of toxic metals in shrimp was carried out according to the method proposed by the USEPA. Sexual identification was carried out by examining the first pleopods of P. aztecus specimens; the stages of maturity and proportion of sexes were also determined, finding specimens at maturity stages I and II. Specimens collected in the Veracruz area presented higher morphometric values, with an average TL of 136.15 mm. It was identified in the same area that the batches were formed by a higher proportion of males at 72.2%. Ni was the metal with the highest concentration in the Veracruz area at 15.5 µg g−1, while Pb had a maximum concentration of 8.3 µg g−1. The concentrations obtained for the toxic metals in the shrimp exceeded the values of the international permissible limits established for Pb and Cd.

Keywords

• public health risk
• fishery resource
• penaeid shrimp
• bio-indicator
• contaminants