Title: | Polystyrene microplastics weaken the predator-induced defenses of Daphnia magna: Evidences from the changes in morphology and behavior |
Author(s): | Wang Z; Wang Y; Qin S; Yang Z; Sun Y; |
Address: | "Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China. Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China. Electronic address: sunyunfei@njnu.edu.cn" |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120657 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-6424 (Electronic) 0269-7491 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Polystyrene microplastics are ubiquitous in freshwater ecosystems and have significant impacts on freshwater organisms. Stable interspecific relationships, including the predation and defense relationships between predator and prey, play an extremely important role in maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems. However, it still remains unknown whether polystyrene microplastics can interfere with predator-induced defenses of prey, especially in behavior change. Therefore, we studied the effects of different particle sizes and concentrations of polystyrene microplastics on the induced defenses related to morphology, reproduction, and behavior of Daphnia magna exposed to the predation risks from a species of zooplanktivorous fish Rhodeus ocellatus. Results showed that polystyrene microplastics weakened the predator-induced defenses of D. magna, including morphology, reproduction, and behavior. Polystyrene microplastics did not affect the beat rate of the second antennae (swimming activity) and thoracic appendage (filter-feeding activity) of D. magna, but R. ocellatus kairomone reduced Daphnia swimming activity. Moreover, in the absence of R. ocellatus predation risks, polystyrene microplastics did not alter the vertical distribution of D. magna in the water column, whereas D. magna exposed to R. ocellatus kairomone stayed deeper in the water; however, when both polystyrene microplastics and fish kairomone were present, D. magna inhabited in shallower water. Furthermore, small-sized microplastics interfered with the inducible behavioral defense of D. magna more strongly than large-sized polystyrene microplastics. Such findings suggested that polystyrene microplastics can weaken the predator-induced defenses of Daphnia, which may increase their risk of predation and alter the population dynamics of zooplankton" |
Keywords: | "Animals *Daphnia Microplastics Polystyrenes/toxicity Plastics/toxicity Ecosystem *Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis Fishes Pheromones Water Behavior Daphnia Inducible defense Kairomone;" |
Notes: | "MedlineWang, Zihang Wang, Yixiang Qin, Shanshan Yang, Zhou Sun, Yunfei eng England 2022/11/16 Environ Pollut. 2023 Jan 1; 316(Pt 2):120657. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120657. Epub 2022 Nov 12" |