The action of the saponin on fishes: Guarus (Poecilia sp.) and Acarás (Geophagus sp.)

Abstract

The experience were made either with saponina solutions or with aqueous maceration of "saboneteira" (Sapindus saponaria). The activity of this macerations equivalent to 1% saponin solution J. D. Riedel, was greater and old solutions did not show modifications of toxic effects. The authors observed that the toxic effect of such venon on some fish genera (Geophagus sp. and Poecilia sp.) manifested itself by five sucessive phasis — excitation; asphyxy; initial depression; advence depression; death — and that the time that elapsed among them is a variable one. Such variations are influenced by saponin concentration of by "saboneteira" maceration, and they are dependent on the animal size. A higher temperature, as it was observed at 15°C, 20°C and 25°C, induce a shortening of periods of the several phasis, but fasting seem not to have interference with the readiest evidence of the expected effects. The recovery fishes capacity is possible only if they are drown back during the first phasis of the toxic manifestations: if they were drown back in any of the others following four phasis, they do not survive.