The sublethal effects of a detergent on the reproduction,development, and settlement in the polychaetous annelid Capitella capitata

The effect of polyethylene-glycol fatty acid was studied on the various stages throughout the life cycle of Capitella capitata. All concentrations tested reduced the number of trochophores, metatrochophores, and young benthic worms and increased the time required to reach the next stage in an inverse relationship to concentration. Only the higher concentrations of detergent influenced the survival rate and the number of eggs produced and laid. A 90% decrease in the number of benthic worms produced occurred between the control and the highest concentration employed (100 mg/l). The effect of the detergent was similar in field and laboratory-collected larvae.