Comparison of the behavioural and acute toxicity of copper to sheepshead,Atlantic croaker and pinfish

Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus), Atlantic croaker (Micropogon undulatus) and pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) were each exposed to aqueous solutions of reagent grade cupric chloride in artificial seawater in four static bioassays. The 24, 48, 72 and 96-h TL_m were determined to be, respectively, 4.17, 3.02, 2.19 and 1.14 mg Cu²⁺·I^?1 for sheepshead, 9.15, 7.55, 7.20 and 5.66 mg Cu²⁺·I^?1 for croaker, and 7.33, 4.43, 4.14 and 2.75 mg Cu²⁺·I^?1 for pinfish. These results are compared with literature values of experimental concentrations of copper producing subtle behavioural changes in these species.