title: A novel apparatus for evaluating contaminant effects on feeding activity and heart rate in Daphnia spp.
abstract: Cladoceran are animals of significant importance to freshwater bodies such that changes in their populations may result in drastic shifts in the food web. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of toxicants, and the effects of chemical and physical habitat changes to these animals. Most of these studies investigated more general endpoints such as mortality, reproduction, growth, and food consumption over time, and less frequently examined molecular endpoints such as enzyme activity or gene expression. However, behavioral and physiological endpoints that link the organism and molecular level endpoints are scarce. In this study, we designed an apparatus that allows for the simultaneous investigation of three essential behavioral and physiological endpoints in Daphnia, including ventilation, food uptake rate, and heart rate. Using our apparatus, we studied the effect of cadmium (Cd), suspended particles, and food on the beating rate of thoracic limbs and the frequency of mandible rolling in Daphnia magna. We also studied the effect of temperature on the heart and thoracic limb beat frequency. The results show that both Cd and suspended particles reduce the activity of mandibles and thoracic limbs. Thoracic limb movements and heart rate increased gradually with temperature. Our toxicity tests show that changes in feeding, ventilation, and heart rate are easily detected using this method.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4. Electronic address: e.lari82@gmail.com.
authors: Ebrahim
authors: E
authors: Lari
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4.
authors: Dylan
authors: D
authors: Steinkey
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4.
authors: Greg G
authors: GG
authors: Pyle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects*; D005121:Extremities / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D015996:Survival Rate; D013696:Temperature; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: Daphnia; Feeding; Heart rate; Mandible rolling; Thoracic limbs