Relationships between copper and stress indicators in the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

• Published in: Marine and freshwater behaviour and physiology 2015-05, Vol.48 (3), p.193-203
• Main Authors: Bautista-Covarrubias, Juan C, Frías-Espericueta, Martín G, Velarde-Montes, Germán J, Voltolina, Domenico, García-de la Parra, Luz M, Soto-Jiménez, Martín F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acclimation; aquatic environment; clotting time; copper; Cu toxicity; Decapoda; diet; exposure duration; hemocyanin; hemocytes; juveniles; Litopenaeus vannamei; monophenol monooxygenase; phenoloxidase; postlarvae; shrimp; superoxide dismutase
• ISSN: 1029-0362; 1023-6244; 1029-0362
• DOI: 10.1080/10236244.2015.1024079

Survival, clotting time, hemocyanin concentrations, total hemocyte counts, phenoloxidase activity (PO), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) of Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles (11.7 g) exposed for periods of 5, 48, and 96 h to copper (Cu) concentrations equivalent to 0.008, 1, 10, and 50% of the LC ₅₀–₉₆ h for L. vannamei postlarvae showed that survival was similar in all treatments, but clotting time was significantly higher with the two highest Cu concentrations. Hemocyanin had lower values after 5 h with the two highest Cu concentrations, but this difference disappeared with longer times of exposure. The mean number of hemocytes varied widely but with no clear relation to Cu concentration or period of exposure. Differences in PO were related to period of exposure but not to Cu concentrations. SOD mean values did not show significant variation throughout the experiment. Apart from an increase in clotting time, the overall mean values of the stress indicators used in this study show that this particular shrimp species is relatively unaffected by a concentration of Cu equivalent to 50% of its lethal value. We speculate that this is probably due to previous acclimation to high Cu concentrations in its aquatic environment or a Cu-rich diet.