Toxicity of metals to decapod crustacean larvae

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 39: 345-351 (2000).

Comparative toxicity of dissolved metals to early larval stages of Palaemon serratus, Maja squinado and Homarus gammarus (Crustacea : Decapoda)

J.C. Mariño-Balsa, E. Poza, E. Vázquez, R. Beiras

Abstract: The acute lethal toxicity of mercury, copper and cadmium to the first larval stage of the prawn (Palaemon serratus), spider crab (Maja squinado) and lobster (Homarus gammarus) was tested. Chromium was also tested with the prawn. Mortality was recorded after 48 h (for lobster) or 72 h (for other species) incubation at 18°C, and the median lethal concentrations (LC₅₀ ±95% confidence intervals) per individual and per mass unit were calculated. The LC₅₀ values were, 74 µg Hg /L, 3304 µg Cu /L, 1686 µg Cd /L, 12486 µg Cr /L for prawn; 72 µg Hg /L, 50 µg Cu /L, 158 µg Cd /L for spider crab; and 48 µg Hg /L, 46 µg Cu /L, 34 µg Cd /L for lobster. Therefore, larvae of spider crab and lobster were markedly more sensitive than prawn to heavy metals, and thus more suitable to use in seawater quality bioassays. Of these two species, spider crab is recommended due to their abundance, easier maintenance and their higher fecundity. The mercury LC₅₀ values for different larval stages of P. serratus (zoea I, II, V and VI) were obtained, and no ontogenetic change in sensitivity to the metal could be detected.

Keywords: mercury, copper, cadmium, lethal toxicity, larva, crustaceans, Palaemon, Maja, Homarus.

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