Spermatologic characteristics and sperm motility alterations caused by short-term copper exposure in brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis

Spermatozoa movement in many aquatic animals with external fertilization is directly related to the external aqueous environment. In particular, environmental toxic metals can cause harmful effects and impair sperm cell functions. The high concentrations of copper (Cu) may be harmful for aquatic animals, while low levels are required for metabolic interactions. Herein, we investigated the effect of different copper concentration [0 mg L−1 (Control), .5 mg L−1, 1 mg L–1, and 2 mg L−1] on spermatozoa of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis. Motility and survival of sperm cells were assessed. Our results indicated that Cu exposure caused to an evident decrease in motility and longevity of spermatozoa with increasing concentrations (p < .05). Overall, we showed that Cu exposure can impair sperm motility of S. fontinalis. Our study suggested that sperm motility has the potential to be a sensitive bioindicator of freshwater environmental pollution