Toxicity of rotenone to some species of coarse fish and invertebrates

The toxicity of rotenone was determined for seven species of fish and three species of invertebrates. The results show that there is a marked variation in sensitivity of different species to rotenone. The survival times of roach Rutilus rutilus (L.) were reduced by a rise in temperature and also by a reduction in water hardness. Temperature affected the rate at which rotenone is degraded; 3 days after being prepared a solution containing 2 mg/1 of 5 % rotenone was non-toxic to roach over a 7-day period at 20°C, but it was still toxic for at least 11 days at 11.5°C. The data are discussed in relation to the use of rotenone in fisheries management.