Responses of polychaeteHydroides eleganslife stages to copper stress

• Published in: Marine ecology. Progress series (Halstenbek) 2005-01, Vol.285, p.89-96
• Main Authors: Xie, Zhi-Cai, Wong, Nga Cheung, Qian, Pei-Yuan, Qiu, Jian-Wen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Bioassay; Copper; Developmental stages; Embryos; Larvae; Larval development; Oocytes; Sorption; Young animals
• ISSN: 0171-8630; 1616-1599

Two experiments were performed to examine the sensitivity ofHydroides elegansto copper stress. The first experiment tested the development of 4 distinct early stages in copper solutions from 10 to 250 μg l–1. Copper significantly reduced survivorship of the newly released oocyte and trochophore stages at concentrations ≥10 μg l–1, and of the 2-cell and blastula stages at ≥25 μg l–1. The EC50values were 47, 50, 71 and 29 μg Cu l–1for the newly released oocytes, 2-cell embryos, blastulae and trochophores, respectively. After 2 h into the bioassay, whereIsochrysis galbanawas used as food for the trochophores, algal sorption resulted in a reduction in copper concentration from 32% in the 10 μg l–1treatment to 6% in the 250 μg l–1treatment. Duration of development did not significantly differ among the treatments, except in the oocyte to 2-cell stage where higher copper concentration resulted in longer developmental time. In the second experiment, adultH. eleganswere exposed to copper concentrations from 125 to 4000 μg l–1for 48 h. Significant mortality occurred only at copper concentrations ≥500 μg l–1. This study thus shows that the embryogenesis and larval development ofH. elegansare sensitive to copper stress, and that algal sorption can substantially reduce soluble copper concentration and may affect the larval toxicity result.