The accumulation of inorganic mercury from sea water by the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L

The accumulation of inorganic mercury from sea water by plaice eggs, larvae, and adult fish has been studied using ²⁰³HgCl₂ as a tracer. The isotope was rapidly accumulated and the levels of accumulation have been related to stable element concentrations. High concentration factors were attained by many organs, but the distribution of the ²⁰³Hg was markedly different from that of the stable element. Whereas the largest fraction of the body burden of mercury is contained by muscle, only a slow rate of accumulation into this tissue was observed. In addition, the mercury in fish muscle is of the methyl form: no evidence for the methylation of the tracer was obtained.