title: Behavioural responses of freshwater planarians after short-term exposure to the insecticide chlorantraniliprole.
abstract: Recent advances in video tracking technologies provide the tools for a sensitive and reproducible analysis of invertebrate activity under stressful conditions nurturing the field of behavioural ecotoxicology. This study aimed to evaluate behavioural responses of the freshwater planarian Dugesia subtentaculata exposed to a model compound, chlorantraniliprole (CAP). This compound is an anthranilic diamide insecticide and due to its neurotoxic action can, at low concentrations, impair behaviour of exposed organisms. Behavioural endpoints measured included feeding and locomotor activities. Feeding responses were based on planarian predatory behaviour using Chironomus riparius larvae as prey. Locomotion was measured by the traditional planarian locomotor velocity (pLMV) assay and additionally using an automated video tracking system using a Zebrabox(®) (Viewpoint, France) device. While feeding and pLMV were significantly impaired at 131.7μg/L CAP, the video tracking system showed that total distance covered by planarians was significantly reduced at concentrations as low as 26.2μg/L CAP. Our results show that more advanced automated video recording systems can be used in the development of sensitive bioassays allowing a reliable, time- and cost-effective quantification of behaviour in aquatic invertebrates. Due to their ecological relevance, behavioural responses should not be disregarded in risk assessment strategies and we advocate the suitability of planarians as suitable organisms for behavioural ecotoxicological studies.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Environmental Chemistry (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Andreia C M
authors.initials: ACM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.affiliation: University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Oksana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Golovko
authors.affiliation: University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Žlábek
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barata
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Amadeu M V M
authors.initials: AMVM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: jpestana@ua.pt.
authors.forename: João L T
authors.initials: JLT
authors.lastname: Pestana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002683:Chironomidae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects*; D014741:Video Recording; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D062367:ortho-Aminobenzoates / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D062367:ortho-Aminobenzoates; C517733:chlorantranilipole
keywords: Anthranilic diamides; Automated video tracking system; Dugesia subtentaculata; Feeding activity; Locomotion