On the Chilean coast, several native species relevant to the fisheries industry exist. These include species with high potential for aquaculture diversification. A relevant group of these species is the Genypterus genus, with red cusk-eel (Genypterus chilensis), pink cusk-eel (Genypterus blacodes), and black cusk-eel (Genypterus maculatus) as the main native species of this genus in Chile. These species present a broad geographical distribution, with populations of these species in the north, center, and south coast. However, environmental conditions, human population density, among others, could vary importantly along the coast. These marine species could be exposed to plastic pollution. Microplastics are one of the main plastic contaminants in the ocean. However, little is known about the microplastic pollution in the population of these species, and how the pollution is affected by differences between species and the geographical distribution. Netter has well understood the presence of microplastics in the different tissues of Genypterus species. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of microplastics in different tissues of Genypterus species across the Chilean coast.
These species were sampled in different locations of the north, center, and south Chilean coast, including Caldera, Los Vilos, Quintay, Quinteros, San Antonio, Pichilemu, Pelluhue, Talcahuano, Valdivia Castro, and Puerto Aysén. The length and weight were registered, and digestive, muscle, and gills were sampled for digestion, filtering, and microplastic identification. We found microplastic presence in all the Genypterus species and locations, showing that microplastic pollution affects this genus. We found variable prevalence of microplastic pollution, according to species and geographic location. Additionally, we found significant differences in pollution levels between some species in some locations, showing that in some cases, species could be differentially affected by microplastic pollution. Also, geographical location showed significant differences in pollution for G. chilensis and G. blacodes. Finally, we found microplastic presence in the digestive tract, gills, and muscles, evidencing that some microplastics could translocate to other tissues in fish. This information shows that microplastic pollution is relevant for Genypterus species and that several factors influence the prevalence of these pollutants in these fish. Funding: ANID FONDECYT Inicio 11230153