We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic uptake and gut retention time in Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) under laboratory conditions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that adult Japanese anchovy selectively ingested 0.3-mm microplastics over 0.85-mm particles based on size but showed no color preference, and that over 90% of ingested microplastics were excreted within 20 hours, suggesting limited retention and accumulation under natural feeding conditions.
To explore the impact of microplastic (MP) pollution on planktivorous fish, we examined the uptake and retention of MPs by Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) under laboratory conditions. MP uptake was size selective in adult anchovy-0.3-mm MPs were taken up in significantly larger amounts than 0.85-mm MPs-but not in juveniles. There were no significant differences in the uptake of MPs of three different colors, suggesting that anchovy do not select for MP coloration. More than 90% of the MPs were excreted within 20 h of ingestion, indicating that MP retention time is similar to the processing time of food items. Our findings suggest that Japanese anchovy tend to take up MPs that are equivalent in size to prey items, but that the impacts of MP ingestion are likely to be limited under the current state of oceanic MP contamination.
More Papers Like This
Color preferences and gastrointestinal-tract retention times of microplastics by freshwater and marine fishes
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined microplastic color preferences and gut retention times in freshwater and marine fish, finding that fish preferentially ingested red, yellow, and green particles and that retention times varied significantly across species.
A Comparison of the Microplastic Consumption by Small and Large Anchovy Fish
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared microplastic ingestion in small versus large anchovies from four sites in Indonesian seas, finding that both size classes contained microplastics but with differences in particle abundance and type. Since anchovies are often consumed whole, this raises concerns about direct human exposure to microplastics through seafood.
Ingestion and elimination of anthropogenic fibres and microplastic fragments by the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) of the NW Mediterranean Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that 30–40% of European anchovies in the Ligurian Sea had ingested anthropogenic microparticles, primarily plastic fibers and fragments, with most fish containing only a single particle — suggesting relatively short retention times in the gut. The study found that larger plastic fragments may become trapped in the intestinal lumen, raising concerns about how long plastics and their associated toxins remain in commercially harvested fish.
Microplastic evacuation in fish is particle size‐dependent
AI summary Read the abstract
Microplastic retention time in fish was found to depend on particle size, with larger particles being evacuated more slowly than smaller ones, providing empirical data to interpret gut burden studies and better understand chronic exposure dynamics.
Microplastic fragments and microbeads in digestive tracts of planktivorous fish from urban coastal waters
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined the digestive tracts of 64 Japanese anchovy from Tokyo Bay and found plastic fragments in 77% of the fish, averaging about 2.3 pieces per individual. The plastics were mostly polyethylene and polypropylene fragments and microbeads smaller than 1 millimeter. The findings demonstrate that microplastic contamination is widespread in urban coastal fish populations, raising questions about potential transfer through the food chain.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.