EFFECTS OF PRO-NOXFISH® ON THE BENTHOS AND ZOOPLANKTON OF BUG LAKE,FOREST COUNTY,WISCONSIN1

ABSTRACT: A concentration of 2.5 mg/1 Pro-Noxfish® (0.063 mg/1 rotenone and 0.063 mg/1 sulfoxide) was applied to Bug Lake, Wisconsin, on November 17, 1975. There was an immediate toxicity to zooplankton and Chironomus. All taxa of benthic organisms and zooplankton that were present before toxicant application survived the treatment except for Pleuroxus denticulatus which was collected in only one sample before treatment. Comparable densities of benthic and zooplankton taxa were found on individual sampling dates before and after treatment; however, mean densities of trichopterans and dipterans were lower after treatment. The high variance in the samples along with the change in fish population after treatment are believed responsible for this indicated change in benthos density rather than the effects of the rotenone.