What this means
Scientists measured 16 metals in fish from the Mediterranean Sea. Fish that live on the seafloor often showed different levels than fish that swim in open water.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- 81 fish from six species of sharks and rays
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- Ecological guild rather than taxonomy drives metal and metalloid bioaccumulation in Mediterranean elasmobranchs: a multi-species ICP-MS assessment.
- Authors
- Arpaia M, Gallo S, Carpino C et al.
- Journal
- Marine pollution bulletin
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42868844 ↗
Abstract
Elasmobranchs are effective bioindicators of chemical contamination, integrating habitat use, trophic ecology, and longevity. We quantified 16 metals and metalloids by ICP-MS in the muscle of 81 individuals from six Mediterranean elasmobranch species spanning a benthic-to-pelagic gradient (Raja radula, Mustelus mustelus, Mustelus punctulatus, Myliobatis aquila, Dasyatis pastinaca, and Alopias vulpinus). Arsenic and iron dominated elemental profiles in benthic and demersal species; R. radula showed the highest As, Sr, Mn, and Ni concentrations, consistent with sustained sediment contact, while A. vulpinus (n = 3) showed markedly lower As and an aluminium-dominated profile. Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed significant interspecific differences for nine elements, and Principal Component Analysis explained 41.7% of variance, revealing a clear benthic-to-pelagic gradient. Model comparisons indicated that ecological guild, rather than species identity, better explained accumulation patterns. Mean concentrations of Pb and Cd were below EU maximum levels in all species; Pb exceeded the limit in one M. mustelus individual. These results support Mediterranean elasmobranchs as guild-sensitive bioindicators and establish a baseline for ecotoxicological monitoring.
Arpaia M, Gallo S, Carpino C et al. Ecological guild rather than taxonomy drives metal and metalloid bioaccumulation in Mediterranean elasmobranchs: a multi-species ICP-MS assessment. Marine pollution bulletin. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.120436. PMID: 42868844. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42868844/