title: Effects of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn on asexual reproduction and early development of the tropical sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella.
abstract: Currently few studies present sub-lethal toxicity data for tropical marine species, and there are no routine toxicity tests using marine cnidarians. The symbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella has been identified as a useful species for ecotoxicological risk assessment, and would provide a tropical marine cnidarian representative. Chronic sub-lethal toxicity tests assessing the effects of 28-day trace metal exposure on asexual reproduction in A. pulchella were investigated, and concentration-dependant reductions in the number of offspring that were produced were evident for all metal exposures. Metal concentration estimates causing 50% reductions in the numbers of asexually-reproduced juveniles after 28-day exposures (28-day effect concentrations 50%: EC50s) were 14 µg/L for copper, 63 µg/L for zinc, 107 µg/L for cobalt, 145 µg/L for cadmium, and 369 µg/L for nickel. Slightly higher 28-day EC50s of 16 µg/L for copper, 192 µg/L for zinc, 172 µg/L for cobalt, 185 µg/L for cadmium, and 404 µg/L for nickel exposures and were estimated based on reductions in the total number of live developed and undeveloped offspring. These sensitive and chronic sub-lethal toxicity estimates help fill the knowledge gap related to metal effects on cnidarians over longer exposure periods, and this newly-developed bioassay may provide a much needed tool for ecotoxicological risk assessment relevant to tropical marine environments.
authors.affiliation: Marine Ecology Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia.
authors.forename: Pelli L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: Amanda J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reichelt-Brushett
authors.forename: Malcolm W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity; D003035:Cobalt / Q000633:toxicity; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity; D012100:Reproduction, Asexual / Q000187:drug effects*; D012615:Sea Anemones / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D036401:Toxicity Tests, Chronic; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015032:Zinc / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D003035:Cobalt; D003300:Copper; D009532:Nickel; D015032:Zinc