Abstract: | Indices of hepatic mixed function oxidase (MFO) activity in winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) were measured at approximately monthly intervals from November 1983 to October 1985. Benzoa]pyrene hydroxylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities and cytochromes P450 and b5 were generally, but not significantly, higher in males than in females. The MFO activity varied seasonally, reaching a maximum during or shortly after spawning. Variation in MFO enzyme activity between sexes was never greater than 2-fold at any time, and within sex, no greater than 6-fold during the seasonal cycle. This variability is less than that caused by exposure to environmentally realistic levels of some pollutants; measurements of MFO activity in this species might therefore be used to indicate environmental contamination. |