The absorption, distribution and elimination of I4C-labelled sarafloxacin hydrochloride were studied by means of whole-body autoradiography and liquid scintillation counting. The drug was administered to Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, cod Gadus morhua and turbot Scophthalmus maximus, either intravenously or orally in a single dose of 9.6 (3.57) and 9.7 (3.44) mg kg-' (MBq kg-') respectively. The Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout and cod were held in seawater at a temperature of 7.9 f 0.2"C, and the turbot at 12.1 + l . l°C . In the intravenously dosed groups, the drug was rapidly distributed to all major tissues and organs except the central nervous system. After the distribution phase, the levels of radioactivity were higher in most organs and tissues than in blood The most noticeable differences between the species were the lower levels of radioactivity in the Liver, and the higher levels in the muscle tissue, of cod compared to the salmonids. lncomplete absorption was observed following oral administration of sarafloxacin to Atlantic salmon. rainbow trout and turbot. Most of the radioactivity remained in the gastrointestinal tract, high levels of radioactivity othenvise being observed only in the bile and to a certain extent in the liver. The maximum sarafloxacin concentrations (C,,,,,) in blood were calculated to be 0.60, 0.16 and 0.22 pg ml-' for Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout and turbot respectively. In cod a significant degree of absorption took place, with high levels of radioactivity being detected in all major organs and tissues for the first 4 d after administration. The C,,, in blood was calculated to be 2.18 yg ml-l In all 4 species tested, traces of radioactivity remained in the kidney, and also to some extent in the skin, during the excretion phase.