The effects of copper on the morphological and functional development of zebrafish embryos

• Published in: Aquatic toxicology 2007-10, Vol.84 (4), p.431-438
• Main Authors: Johnson, A., Carew, E., Sloman, K.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Body Size - drug effects; Copper; Copper - pharmacology; Copper - toxicity; Danio rerio; Development; Early life stage; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Embryo; Embryo, Nonmammalian - drug effects; Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism; Embryonic Development - drug effects; Female; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Heart Rate - drug effects; Male; Statistics, Nonparametric; Swimming - physiology; Zebrafish ( Danio rerio); Zebrafish - embryology
• ISSN: 0166-445X; 1879-1514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2007.07.003

Waterborne copper exposure can exert a variety of physiological effects in fish, including the disruption of sensory system function, which has wide-reaching implications for fish behaviour. In developing fish larvae, copper is known to affect key parameters, such as survival and growth and more recently has been shown to interfere with the octavolateral system. The present study aimed to take a combined view of morphological ( e.g. length, yolk sac area) and functional ( e.g. heart beat, behaviour) processes to understand the complex effect of copper on fish development. In the first of two experiments, zebrafish embryos were exposed to a range of copper concentrations (11–1000 μg l −1) from fertilisation for a 72 h period. The greatest mortality was seen between 5 and 24 h post-fertilisation (hpf) and was more pronounced at the higher copper concentrations. Copper also had an inhibitory effect on hatching. Length and yolk sac area of individuals were recorded across treatments at 72 hpf and elevated copper was found to slow development. Individuals from the higher copper treatments had the fastest heart rates at 28 hpf suggesting that stress responses were induced in the embryos during copper exposure. In the second experiment, embryos were exposed in a similar manner to two copper concentrations, based on those from Experiment 1 that resulted in