Toxicity of four oil dispersants to some animals from the Baltic Sea

Four oil dispersants of interest for practical use in the Baltic Sea were tested as regards toxicity to animals from the littoral zone of the same area. The dispersants tested were Corexit 7664, Berol TL-188, Berol TL-198, all water-base dispersants, and BP 1100-X, an oil-base dispersant. Two species of fish, two species of bivalves and two species of crustaceans were tested. Significant differences in toxicity were found between the water-base dispersants at concentrations above 1700 ppm. Below this concentration there were no significant differences. The dispersants contain similar surfactants in similar concentrations, but differ with respect to types and amount of solvent. The observed differences at high concentrations are, therefore, argued to be connected chiefly to differences between these solvents. Differences in toxicity to different animal types were found between the water-base dispersants and the oil-base dispersants. The toxicity of Corexit 7664 was (96h LC₅₀ approximate values): fish, 1000 ppm; bivalves, 2000 ppm; crustaceans, 10,000 ppm. The toxicity order was strikingly reversed for BP 1100-X: crustanceans, 150 ppm; bivalves, 2000 ppm; fish, 10,000 ppm. This difference in toxicity for different animal types is suggested to be connected mainly to differences in the chemical character of the outer layer of the body surface of the animals.     

Acute toxicities of eleven metals to early life-history stages of the yellow crab Cancer anthonyi

We report findings from the first laboratory experiments to assess toxicities of metals found in drilling muds to embryos and prezoeae of a brachyuran crab. Embryos of Cancer anthonyi are brooded externally on the abdomen of female crabs; thus, embryos may be continuously exposed to pollutants contained in sediments of contaminated benthic habitats. Lethal concentrations of metals to embryos after 7 d exposures were: iron and barium (sulfate), 1 000 mg l^–1; barium (chloride), 100 mg l^–1; aluminum and nickel, 10 mg l^–1; copper and lead, l mg l^–1; cadmium, chromium VI and manganese, 0.01 mg l^–1; mercury, 0.001 mg l^–1. All metals effectively retarded embryos from hatching at concentrations equal or lower to those causing mortality, except for cadmium. Particularly impressive was iron, which suppressed hatching at l to 10 mg l^–1, concentrations previously found non-deleterious to marine organisms and 100 times more dilute than concentrations causing significant embryo mortality. The effects of metals on embryos increased as a function of exposure duration. Embryo mortality was delayed for at least 120 h at concentrations 1.0 mg l^–1, with the exception of mercury. Lethal concentrations established at 96 h were meaningless for crab embryos, because acute toxic thresholds were not attained by that time. Larval survivorship to chromium VI, copper, and zinc increased following exposure of embryos to these metals at low concentrations (1.0 mg l^–1), suggesting induction of biochemical pathways for products which bind or metabolize metals. Identical exposures of embryos to lead failed to enhance subsequent larval survivorship, showing that inductions may be metal-specific. We suggest that exposures of brachyuran embryos at field sites and the success of their subsequent hatching in the laboratory may be a means of assessing environmental contamination otherwise difficult to monitor.     

氯化镉对斑马鱼胚胎的发育毒性

为探讨重金属Cd对斑马鱼胚胎发育的毒性效应,将受精1h后(1hpf)的斑马鱼胚胎暴露于不同浓度的CdCl2溶液中,观察CdCl2处理对胚胎死亡、孵化及幼鱼畸形的影响。采用吖啶橙(AO)染色,定性观察胚胎细胞凋亡情况;以活性氧(ROS)荧光探针DCFH-DA染色法检测胚胎ROS水平,TBA比色法测定胚胎脂质过氧化水平,DTNB比色法测定还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)和氧化型谷胱甘肽(GSSG)水平。结果表明,10.0～30.0mg·L-1CdCl2浓度依赖性地诱导斑马鱼胚胎死亡和幼鱼畸形,胚胎孵化率亦降低。CdCl2处理引起斑马鱼胚胎心脏水肿,尾部弯曲和胚胎发育阻滞。胚胎半数致死浓度(LC50)为18.9mg·L-1,R2=0.973,幼鱼半数致畸浓度(EC50)为13.7mg·L-1,R2=0.967。20.0mg·L-1CdCl2处理组ROS水平、MDA含量明显升高,GSH/GSSG比值明显降低(P<0.01)。20mg·L-1CdCl2处理后,胚胎头部和尾部可见大量细胞凋亡。10mg·L-1N-乙酰半胱氨酸(NAC)与20mg·L-1CdCl2共同处理组斑马鱼胚胎的死亡率和畸形率明显降低,孵化率明显升高,ROS水平、MDA含量以及GSH/GSSG比值趋于正常。以上结果说明,CdCl2暴露对斑马鱼胚胎发育的毒性效应可能与CdCl2诱导的氧化应激相关。     

Biochemical composition of the deep-sea red crab Chaceon quinquedens (Geryonidae): organic reserves of developing embryos and adults

Deep-sea red crabs Chaceon quinquedens (Smith) were collected in traps at depths of 860 and 1043 m in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Ovigerous crabs were maintained in the laboratory and the developing embryos were sampled every 2 wk until hatching. Proximate analysis (lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and ash) of embryos was performed to determine patterns and rates of organic reserve utilization during embryogenesis. Midgut gland, gonads, and clutch (as appropriate) of adult crabs (males, non-ovigerous females and ovigerous females) were analyzed for the same components as the embryos. Red crab embryos exhibited different patterns of yolk deposition and subsequent depletion of yolk components during embryogenesis. There was a range of lipid to protein (L:P) ratios among the different clutches examined, indicating plasticity in the relative proportions of lipid and protein yolk. The energy used for embryogenesis was estimated by converting the amounts of lipid, protein and carbohydrate in the embryos to their caloric equivalents; final values, taken from 9 mo-old embryos whose siblings were hatching as zoeae, were subtracted from the initial values of sibling embryos sampled at the time of collection (2 to 3 mo old). The amount of energy consumed during embryogenesis in the laboratory was relatively constant (0.12 to 0.13 cal egg^-1). There was considerable variability among the concentrations of organic reserves in the midgut gland of adult crabs and in the ovaries of females. Variations in midgut gland L:P ratios and ovaries were related to the reproductive status of the females, but there were no trends related to depth of capture.     

The effect of low concentrations of phenol and ammonia on egg production rates,fecal pellet production and egg viability of the calanoid copepod Acartia clausi

Estimates of daily fecundity, hatching success and fecal pellet production are reported for Acartia clausi females exposed for 10 d to low levels of phenol and ammonia. Copepods were collected in 1991 and 1992 from a southern coastal area of the Mar Grande of Taranto (southern Italy). A reduction in egg numbers and fecal pellet production was observed for females after 8 d of exposure to 500 g l^-1 phenol concentration. Ammonia (120 g l^-1) produced a significant increment in egg production, but hatching success was reduced by about 50% after nine exposure days. A. clausi was more sensitive to ammonia than phenol at high concentrations (24-h LC₅₀ phenol-32.26 mg l^-1; 24-h LC₅₀ ammonia=0.91 mg l^-1). At low concentrations, only long-term exposure to phenol determined a reduction in fecundity.     

Water-soluble extracts of the diatom Thalassiosira rotula induce aberrations in embryonic tubulin organisation of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

Eggs and embryos of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus were used as a model to study the effect at the cellular level of potential anti-mitotic compounds extracted from the diatom Thalassiosira rotula. Eggs and embryos incubated in a water-soluble diatom extract, corresponding to 5 × 10⁶ and 10⁷ cells ml⁻¹, were totally blocked (i.e. cell division was blocked) at the one-cell stage. At lower concentrations (2.5 and 1.25 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹), the first mitotic division was inhibited in 32 ± 26% and 25 ± 3.5% of the zygotes, respectively, demonstrating the dose-dependent effect of diatom extracts on sea urchin development. Immunofluorescence dyes, specific for DNA and α-tubulin subunits, were used to stain nuclei and microtubules in sea urchin embryos during various phases of development. Images with the confocal laser scanning microscope showed that tubulin was not organised in filaments at the sperm aster and cortex levels, and that the pronuclei were not fused in embryos incubated soon after fertilisation with water-soluble diatom extracts corresponding to 10⁷ cells ml⁻¹. At lower diatom-extract concentrations (4 × 10⁶ cells ml ⁻¹), fusion of the pronuclei occurred but the mitotic spindle was not formed. Microtubules were clearly de-polymerised and the chromatin appeared globular and compacted at the centre of the cell. A similar structure was observed for sea urchin embryos incubated with 0.1 mM colchicine, a potent anti-mitotic compound. When sea urchin embryos were incubated in water-soluble diatom extracts at different times prior to the first mitotic division, microtubules appeared de-polymerised at each step, from pronuclear fusion to telophase, and cell division was blocked. At the histological level, embryos incubated with 4 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹ diatom extract showed nuclear fragmentation without cytokinesis. The possible use of sea urchin embryos as a bioassay to test for other unknown compounds with cytotoxic activity in phytoplankton species is discussed. Received: 7 May 1998 / Accepted: 9 December 1998     

不同藻密度下诺氟沙星对萼花臂尾轮虫生命表统计学参数的影响

诺氟沙星是一种被广泛使用的抗生素,但其对轮虫的毒性作用尚不清楚。为调查诺氟沙星对轮虫的毒性及其与藻密度之间的关系,以及各试验终点对诺氟沙星污染的相对敏感性,本文以萼花臂尾轮虫为受试生物,研究了不同斜生栅藻密度(1.0×10~6、2.0×10~6和4.0×10~6cells·m L~(-1))下不同浓度(0、5、20、35、50、65和80 mg·L~(-1))的诺氟沙星对其生命表统计学参数的影响。结果显示,与3个藻密度下的对照组相比,暴露于5～80 mg·L~(-1)诺氟沙星溶液中的轮虫生命期望和世代时间显著延长,净生殖率和种群内禀增长率显著提高。5 mg·L~(-1)的诺氟沙星使生命期望和世代时间的延长幅度随着藻密度的升高而增大,但6个处理组的平均提高幅度却随着藻密度的升高而减小; 5 mg·L~(-1)的诺氟沙星对净生殖率和种群内禀增长率的提高幅度随着藻密度的升高而增大,但6个处理组的平均提高幅度却在2.0×10~6cells·m L~(-1)的藻密度下最小,4.0×10~6cells·m L~(-1)的藻密度下最大。1.0×10~6cells·m L~(-1)的藻密度下,诺氟沙星浓度对轮虫后代混交率无显著性影响(P0.05); 2.0×10~6cells·m L~(-1)的藻密度下,暴露于5～35和80 mg·L~(-1)诺氟沙星溶液中的轮虫后代混交率显著降低; 4.0×10~6cells·m L~(-1)的藻密度下,暴露于5、35和80 mg·L~(-1)诺氟沙星溶液中的轮虫后代混交率显著降低。当藻密度为1.0×10~6和2.0×10~6cells·m L~(-1)时,诺氟沙星浓度与轮虫的生命期望、世代时间、净生殖率和种群内禀增长率之间具有显著的剂量-效应关系;当藻密度为4.0×10~6cells·m L~(-1)时,诺氟沙星浓度与轮虫的净生殖率和种群内禀增长率之间具有显著的剂量-效应关系。本研究表明,亚致死浓度的诺氟沙星促进轮虫的存活、发育、孤雌生殖和种群增长,促进作用的幅度受藻密度的显著影响。     

Toxicity studies on the components of an oil-spill emulsifier using Lichina pygmaea and Xanthoria parietina

Previous work on lichens suggested that the toxic component of the oil-spill emulsifier BP 1002 might be the surfactant rather than the solvent, to which toxicity is usually attributed. The effect of the emulsifier on both Lichina pygmaea and Xanthoria parietina (measured by reduced total photosynthetic ¹⁴C-fixation and enhanced loss of labelled material from the lichen) was shown to be mainly due to Surfactant B (coconut fatty diethanolamide) altering the permeability of the algal cell membranes. Surfactant A (nonylphenol ethylene oxide condensate) was less inhibitory but, by comparison with the response of free-living algae to the emulsifier, induced both leakiness and lysis of the blue-green algal cells in L. pygmaea. Pure solvent slightly reduced total ¹⁴C-fixation without altering the pattern of ¹⁴C-fixation. Observations on pigment removal showed the solvent to be capable of removing only the extra-cellular pigment parietin; Surfactant B induced loss of lipid- and water-soluble intracellular pigments.     

福美双对斑马鱼胚胎Ⅲ型脱碘酶基因表达的影响

福美双是一种二硫代甲氨基甲酸盐类农药,在我国应用较为广泛,但其残留毒性引起广泛重视。试验采用斑马鱼胚胎作为动物模型,探讨了福美双对斑马鱼胚胎的毒性。结果表明福美双导致斑马鱼胚胎孵化率下降,在受精后72 h(72 hpf),对照组的孵化率是100%,1×10-7mol·L-1福美双染毒组的孵化率降至46%,而1×10-6mol·L-1福美双染毒致使孵化率降到0%。III型脱碘酶与斑马鱼的发育和变态息息相关,以上2种浓度的福美双在24 hpf分别增高了III型脱碘酶基因的表达6.71和14.84倍,结果表明福美双具有一定的内分泌搅乱作用,也表明斑马鱼胚胎作为农药安全评价模型的理论可行性。     

Depth distribution of developing Euphausia superba embryos,predicted from sinking rates

Sinking rates of the embryos of Euphausia superba were measured during development in the laboratory at Palmer Station. Antarctic Peninsula, during austral summer 1982. Two densities of seawater were used in these experiments; the lower density (1.027 g cm^-3) is characteristic of the upper 300 m of the water column, the higher (1.029 g cm^-3) is characteristic of the deeper circumpolar deep water. During development, the eggs sank at an initial average rate of 175 m d^-1, declining to 51 m d^-1 during the gastrula to early limb bud stages and increasing before hatching to near initial rates. The larvae hatched within 6 d. We predict that the majority of the embryos of E. superba should hatch at a depth of about 850 m.     

Evaluation of developmental toxicity and apoptotic induction of the aqueous extract of Millettia pachycarpa using zebrafish as model organism

Extensive and indiscriminate use of synthetic compounds and natural compounds obtained from plant sources have resulted in serious threats to the aquatic ecosystem and human health. Aqueous extract of the root of the plant, Milletia pachycarpa Benth, is currently used for killing fish in the state of Manipur, India. Moreover, this plant is also used as traditional medicine in this region. Although it is widely used in traditional medicine, there is limited information available regarding the adverse effects and mechanism underlying its toxicity. This study examined the effects of exposure to aqueous extract of M. pachycarpa (AEMP) on early embryonic development of zebrafish embryos and mechanisms underlying toxicity. Zebrafish embryos treated with different concentrations of the AEMP produced embryonic lethality and developmental defects. The 96-hr-LC₅₀ of AEMP was found to be 4.276 µg/mL. Further, multiple developmental abnormalities such as pericardial edema, yolk sac edema, spinal curvature, swim bladder deflation, decreased heart rate, and delayed hatching were also observed in a dose-dependent manner. Zebrafish embryo showing moderate-to-severe developmental defects following AEMP exposure cannot swim properly. Further, this study examined oxidative stress and apoptosis in embryos exposed to AEMP. Enhanced production of ROS and apoptosis was found in brain, trunk, and tail of zebrafish embryos treated with AEMP. Data suggest that oxidative stress and apoptosis are associated with AEMP-induced embryonic lethality and developmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos.     

Characteristics of suspensions of Kuwait oil and Corexit 7664 and their short-and long-term effects on Tisbe bulbisetosa (Copepoda: Harpacticoida)

A technique for preparing seawater suspensions of Kuwait oil and Corexit was developed. The resulting hydrocarbon concentrations were analysed by gas-chromatography and spectrofluorometric methods and the stability of the suspensions with time was determined. It was established that the suspensions have an effective stability from Days 3 to 15 after preparation, since in this period the concentration varies within a relatively narrow range. Adult female Tisbe bulbisetosa appeared to be quite tolerant of this type of hydrocarbon suspension, in short-term experiments, especially considering that the concentrations used in the bioassays were about 200 times higher than those measured in a relatively polluted area of the lagoon of Venice. Long-term effects on number of eggs produced, number of nauplii and hatching success for females of the third and fourth generations, subject to continuous exposure, were negligible compared with controls.     

Respiratory physiology in summer diapause embryos of the neustonic copepodAnomalocera patersoni

The respiratory physiology of summer diapausing eggs of the neustonic copepodAnomalocera patersoni, maintained under constant temperature (13 °C) and light (12 h light:12 h dark) conditions, was characterized by a bell-shaped curve, with low O₂ uptake levels at the beginning of dormancy. This was followed by a steady rise in O₂ consumption with maximum levels of 0.002 l O₂ embryo^–1 h^–1 70 d after spawning. A slow diminution in O₂ uptake then occurred until Day 150 when minimum values of 0.0003 l O₂ embryo^–1 h^–1 were recorded, coinciding with the hatching of the first embryos. Embryos continued to hatch asynchronously up to 360 d from the moment of egg laying. When eggs were subjected to 20 °C, the respiratory activity was almost three times higher than at 13 °C, even though both respiratory curves were similar. The elevated metabolism in eggs kept at 20 °C led to death of the embryos possibly due to a total depletion of metabolic reserves. ATP content also differed at the two temperatures. Diapause eggs kept at 20 °C showed no rapid rise in ATP content as opposed to those kept at 13 °C. The results of temperature shock experiments, in which eggs were first kept at winter temperatures for several weeks, after which the temperature was raised to 20 °C for another number of weeks prior to a second period of chilling at 13 °C, showed that as long as embryos were kept at 20 °C no hatching occurred. By contrast, hatching was observed after 10 d following the resumption of winter temperatures, suggesting that low environmental temperatures are an essential prerequisite for hatching of these eggs. The type of diapause inA. patersoni differs considerably from the one described in insects and in another neustonic copepod,Pontella mediterrana. In this case, there is a U-shaped respiratory curve with greatest O₂ consumption prior to the onset or upon breaking of diapause. Differences in the two types of diapause seem to involve not only differences in O₂ consumption levels but also in the sequence of metabolic changes with time and the metabolic requirements during sommer and winter dormancy.     

Effects of the dinoflagellates Karlodinium veneficum and Prorocentrum minimum on early life history stages of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

The bloom-forming dinoflagellates Prorocentrum minimum and Karlodinium veneficum can have detrimental effects on some marine life, including shellfish, but little is known about their effects on early life history stages of bivalves. In the Chesapeake Bay region, blooms of these dinoflagellates overlap with the spawning season of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. In laboratory experiments, we compared the effects of P. minimum and K. veneficum on the survival and development of embryos and larvae of the eastern oyster. At 10⁴ cells ml⁻¹, P. minimum did not have a negative effect on embryos and larvae in 2-day exposures. The yield of D-hinge larvae was equal to or greater than in control treatments. At 2 × 10⁴ cells ml⁻¹ (approximately equal biomass to the P. minimum treatment) K. veneficum caused significant mortality to oyster embryos within 1 day and almost no embryos developed into D-hinge larvae. This effect was not alleviated by the provision of an alternate food source (Isochrysis sp.). Significant mortality was observed when larvae were exposed to K. veneficum at concentrations of 10⁴ cells ml⁻¹ (approximately 5 ng ml⁻¹ of karlotoxin). The K. veneficum cultures used in these experiments were relatively low in toxin content, more toxic strains could be expected to cause mortality at lower cell concentrations. Survival and maturation of embryos and larvae may be reduced when spawns of the eastern oyster coincide with high bloom densities of K. veneficum.     

Limited effects of Antarctic ozone depletion on sea urchin development

The sea urchin, Sterechinus neumayeri, has a circumpolar distribution and is an abundant species in benthic communities of the Antarctic. Reproduction occurs during austral spring, when ozone concentrations over the past 25 years have been reduced by 50% or more, potentially exposing the planktonic embryos and larvae to elevated levels of UVB. During spring of 1996, cultures of S. neumayeri embryos incubated under ambient and partitioned sunlight (minus UVB) at static depths between 0 and 7 m were analyzed for DNA damage [cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs)] and morphological abnormalities. At 0-m and 1-m depths, nearly 100% of embryos developed abnormally, even under UVB-shielded conditions where little or no DNA damage accumulated. At depths >3 m, reduced or no abnormality was evident and DNA damage was negligible. Although UVB contributed to 0–65% of solar-induced abnormalities, the mean contribution was 11±17% and UVB was not primarily responsible for observed defects in urchin development. Moreover, developmental responses were not linearly related to ambient UVB gradients as might be expected, but are better characterized relative to threshold levels of total UVB exposure. Accumulated exposures of 25 kJ m^–2 ambient UVB caused minimal DNA damage and allowed normal embryological development to proceed. Higher UVB exposures (especially 80 kJ m^–2) precluded normal development. An ancillary threshold limit of 17 CPDs mb^–1 has been identified as the level of DNA damage that proscribes abnormal development. While higher wavelengths of UVA and visible light are not affected by ozone concentration and do not initiate significant CPD DNA damage, they did interfere significantly with the embryological development of S. neumayeri. It is concluded that exposure to increased UVB during recent Antarctic ozone-depletion cycles probably has only a small degree of impact relative to the magnitude of other solar effects on the developmental success of Sterechinus embryos, or compared to spawning seasons before ozone depletion (i.e., years prior to 1978).Communicated by P.W. Sammarco, Chauvin     

Biomarkers as tools to assess the chronic toxicity of ammonia in the juvenile Mugil cephalus

With juvenile fish as the subject, the effects of low concentration ammonia on antioxidant system were studied using Mugil cephalus. Samples of gill and liver tissue were obtained from 0.35, 0.70, 1.5 and 3?mg/L ammonia groups at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days of exposure, at which times the biomarkers were measured. Results showed that gill malondialdehyde (MDA) content exhibited an initial significant increase (p?≤?0.05) at unionised ammonia concentrations of 0.70, 1.5 and 3.0?mg/L on day 5, followed by subsequent declines, while liver MDA levels exhibited significant increases (p?≤?0.05) at unionised ammonia concentrations of 1.5?mg/L starting on day 10 and at 3.0?mg/L starting on day 5. With exposure to ammonia at different concentrations, Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity in liver and gill decreased over time. The Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity was negatively related to ammonia concentration from 0.70 to 3.0?mg/L. Overall, our results show that MDA and Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase, evaluated here as potential biomarkers of ammonia exposure, exhibited responses to sublethal concentrations of ammonia that were concentration dependent.     

Acute toxicity of mercury and selenium to Crassostrea gigas embryos and Cancer magister larvae

The possible modification of mercury toxicity by selenium in embryos of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and the larvae of the crab Cancer magister was investigated. Mercury concentration eliciting abnormal development in 50% of the oyster embryos (EC₅₀) was 5.7 g l^-1 (48 h) and mortality in 50% of the crab larvae (LC₅₀) occurred with 6.6 g l^-1 (96 h). The 48 h EC₅₀ for selenium was greater than 10,000 g l^-1 for oyster embryos and the 96 h LC₅₀ for crab zoeae was 1040 g l^-1. The response from each species, when exposed to both toxicants, revealed, that a high level of selenium (5,000 g l^-1) increased mercury toxicity. Moderate selenium concentrations (10 to 1,000 g l^-1) tended to decrease mercury toxicity, although no statistical verification could be made. The order of administration of toxicants had no effect on the response of Crassostrea gigas embryos. Early developmental stages (8 h) of C. gigas embryos were most sensitive to dissolved Hg; toxicant administration 24 h after fertilization resulted in no apparent abnormalities in development.     

Are monoalgal diets inferior to plurialgal diets to maximize cultivation of the calanoid copepod Temora stylifera?

Temora stylifera adult copepods were fed with four different monoalgal diets and six combinations of the same cultures for 15 days. Fecundity, hatching success, number of cannibalized embryos, fecal pellet production, adult mortality and naupliar recruitment were compared, in order to find the best diet for this species. Phytoplankton species tested were Prorocentrum minimum (PRO); Isochrysis galbana (ISO); Tetraselmis suecica (TETRA) and Rhodomonas baltica (RHO) which were supplied alone or in different combinations and at various concentrations ranging from a minimum of 1 mg C L⁻¹ day⁻¹ to a maximum of 66 mg C L⁻¹ day⁻¹. Of the ten diets tested, ISO was the worst and was unable to sustain egg production and adult survival possibly because adults were unable to ingest this alga due to its small size. TETRA was also a poor food since it negatively impacted egg production and adult survival, as well as egg hatching success, possibly due to the lack of essential compounds necessary for optimal embryogenesis. RHO and PRO were the best foods inducing highest egg production, hatching success and naupliar recruitment. Even if mean egg production rates were similar to those obtained with some mixed diets, carbon intake concentrations with mixed diets were from 3 to 33 and from 6.6 to 66 times higher than with RHO and PRO given alone, respectively. Mixed diets of ISO and PRO, especially when supplied at higher concentrations (66 mg C L⁻¹ day⁻¹), had a negative effect on egg hatching success and adult survival, with a corresponding reduction in naupliar recruitment. On the other hand, mixed diets of TETRA and PRO promoted high naupliar recruitment but values were similar to PRO offered alone. Our results indicate that a good monoalgal diet such as RHO and PRO can be as effective as a mixed diet to sustain the mass cultivation of T. stylifera.     

Variability in dry weight and vertical distributions of decapod larvae in the Irish Sea and North Sea during the spring

Accumulation of waterborne cadmium in Littorina littorea, Mytilus edulis and Carcinus maenas (collected in 1988 and 1989 around the island of Funen, Denmark) was investigated in a matrix of salinities (10 to 30) and calcium concentrations (2.9 to 8.9 mM Ca⁺⁺). Cadmium accumulation rates in soft parts of L. littorina, soft parts and shells of M. edulis and whole bodies and exoskeletons of C. maenas decreased with increasing salinity. Changes in the calcium concentrations accounted for 72% of the salinity effect on cadmium accumulation rates in L. littorina, whereas calcium concentrations had little or no effect on cadmium accumulation in M. edulis. Cadmium accumulation in the whole body of C. maenas was affected equally by calcium concentrations and total salinity, whereas accumulation in the exoskeleton was mainly affected by changes in total salinity. Individual variability in cadmium accumulation in the organs of C. maenas was greater than the variation attributable either to changes in ambient calcium concentrations or total salinity. An appreciable amount of the inter-individual variability in the cadmium accumulation in all three species was correlated with wet:dry weight ratios of the tissues and size of the organisms.     

An ecological simulation reveals balancing selection acting on development rate in the teleost Fundulus heteroclitus

Semi-lunar spawning in the intertidal zone has been observed in many teleost species. Because the eggs of these species are placed at elevations reached only by the highest tides, the timing of hatching is critical to survival. To quantify and clarify the relationship between development rate, hatching, and survival we developed a computer model that simulated the reproductive strategy in one such species, Fundulus heteroclitus (Linnaeus). We determined expected hatching success for F. heteroclitus embryos as a function of development rate by simulating spawning, embryo development, and hatching of F. heteroclitus embryos in Delaware Bay. Our simulation analysis included manipulation of several model parameters. The results indicated that there is balancing selection acting on development rate in this species. In particular, false hatching cues (rainfall) increased mortality among embryos with very fast and very slow development rates. The simulation results did not appear susceptible to manipulation of the sensitivity of embryos to false hatching cues. The timing of spawning relative to the spring tides determines which development rate is optimal in terms of average hatching success. Including a constant daily mortality rate in our simulations, as a simple model of predation and/or disease, shifted the optimized development rates to faster values. These results may be applicable to other fish species with similar reproductive strategies. Received: 2 September 1996 / Accepted: 17 September 1996