Neonicotinoids are the new class of insecticides that are high target specificity to insects. Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid that is the most widely used insecticide in the world. As a result of its widespread use in agriculture, imidacloprid interferes with the aquatic system and threatens the aquatic environment. In this study, an investigation of the histopathological effects of imidacloprid on zebrafish gonads was aimed. Zebrafish were exposed to 9.5 mg/L, 19 mg/L, and 38 mg/L of imidacloprid for 5 days, considering the 96 h LC50 value. After dissecting the gonadal tissues, routine histological techniques were applied, and the tissues were stained with Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS), Toluidine Blue (TB), and Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E). Sections were examined under a light microscope. While normal gonad histology was observed in the control group, histopathological alternations such as degeneration and union in the seminiferous tubules, hypertrophy in spermatogenic and Leydig cells, and interstitial fibrosis were detected in testicular tissue of the experimental groups. In the ovarian tissues of the experimental groups, structural deterioration in oocytes, autolysis, increase in the number of atretic oocytes, vacuolization in cortical alveoli, thickening and curling in the zona radiata, and opening in the perifollicular layers were detected.
The aim of the study is to determine the effects of Bentagran on growth and oxidative effects to Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis and to evaluate the herbicide toxicity on primary producers of aquatic ecosystems. The decrease in both biomass accumulation and chlorophyll-a content in a dose-dependent manner were observed in both organisms exposed to different Bentagran concentrations (for C. vulgaris 60–960 µg mL−1; for A. platensis 100–800 µg mL−1) during 7 days. SOD activity increases significantly in Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis at concentrations of 480 and 200 ug mL−1, respectively. Although there was no significant change in APX (ascorbate peroxidase) activity in C. vulgaris, the APX activity decreased at 400 and 600 µg mL−1 concentrations in A. platensis. While the GR (glutathione reductase) activity increased at 960 µg mL−1 concentration in C. vulgaris, it also showed increases at 100, 200 and 400 μg mL−1 concentrations, but it decreased at 600 µg mL−1 concentration in A. platensis. MDA (malondialdehyde) and proline amounts decreased only at the concentration of 960 µg mL−1, while H2O2 didn't change compared to control. Total MDA, H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) and proline amounts did not show significant change compared to control. It is found that the effects of Bentagran on growth and antioxidant parameters are diverse at different concentrations and species, and this can be attributed to the different reactive oxygen species (ROS) production ability in these species.
Anguilla spp. are catadromous fish and with a high economic value in Asia. The Pearl River is the largest river in southern China and is an important area for wild populations of Anguilla spp. However, until now, there has been little research on the eel's population structure and habitat use in the Pearl River. This study analyzed the population structure and habitat use characteristics of the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) and the marbled eel (Anguilla marmorata) in the Pearl River based on data collected from 2015 to 2018. A total of 181 Japanese eels and 56 marbled eels were collected, over half of which were middle-sized eels between 255 and 600 mm in length. Although they are sister species, Japanese eels mainly inhabit complex river habitats characterized by high river fractals and coefficients of fluvial facies, while marbled eels mainly inhabit wider and deeper river sections. The impact of physical environmental factors (such as river fractals, coefficients of fluvial facies and river width) on the distribution of these two species is greater than the impact of small-scale water quality environmental factors (such as DO concentration, temperature and clarity). The results of this study showed that wild Anguilla spp. resources in the Pearl River were extremely low and there was an urgent need for conservation and management of eel resources in south China.
Blooms of Planktothrix rubescens have been recorded for 15 years in Lake Bourget (France), from 1995 to 2009. Then, the presence of this filamentous and toxic cyanobacterium became anecdotic between 2010 and 2015 and it was thought that its proliferation was over. However, blooms occurred again in 2016 and 2017 despite apparent low phosphorus concentrations in surface waters of the lake. We have attempted to explain the reasons for this come back in order to develop scenarios helpful to stakeholders who are concerned such proliferations may occur in the future. We show that phosphorus input, both from the main tributaries to the lake and possibly from the sediments, were likely the triggers of the new development of the cyanobacterium provided a minimum autumn/winter inoculum of P. rubescens was detected the year before. The subsequent bloom was observed deeper than previous years and associated with a conjunction of factors known to favour the development of this species (i.e., mild winter temperature, water column stability, available light at depth, surface water transparency, low predation, etc.). Although many factors and processes could account for the occurrence and bloom of the cyanobacterium, a plausible scenario is proposed. One thing remains unclear: where does this cyanobacterium “hide” when it is not observed during the routine monitoring surveys and from which place it could initiate its development (nearshore, the pelagic zone, or from the sediment?).
Functional diversity approaches have been an efficient tool in gaining a better understanding of how environmental conditions selected species in a given environment and how they share resources, linking ecological processes to biodiversity patterns. Although most of the protist ciliates are not highly specialized, functional feeding groups with species which ingest similar food can be identified. Thus, this study aimed to compare the abundance of different Functional Feeding Groups (FFG) of ciliates in environments with different hydrodynamic conditions (lotic and lentic) in different hydrological periods (high and low water) in a neotropical flood plain. The samples for analysis of the community of ciliates were taken in March and September of 2010 and 2011, at the subsurface of 12 different hydrodynamic environments. The results of an RDA showed a spatial and temporal segregation of the sampling units, based on the abundance and occurrence of the FFG. In addition, a clear influence of food resources on the structuring of functional ciliate guilds was evidenced. Thus, there were both temporal (hydrological periods) and spatial (different hydrodynamic environments) differences in the distribution of the FFG, with a clear separation of the FFGs between the years studied. In summary, the results of the categorization of species of ciliates in FFG responded satisfactorily suggesting fluctuations in different food resources, which reinforces the idea that the grouping of species by functional characteristics can be a good indicator of the responses of organisms to environmental fluctuations.
Pesticides used to protect plants and animals against the competition of unwanted insects, diseases, and weeds, and pests play a delicate role in living systems. It has adverse effects on the environment and health. The most adverse effects of pesticide derivatives are the reduction in biodiversity, water pollution, and health risks. Mancozeb is an ethylene bis dithiocarbamate (EBDC) pesticide containing manganese and zinc. These pesticides are included in the fungicide group because they are used for treating fungal diseases. In this study, the structure of oocytes developing in female zebrafish exposed to different doses of mancozeb (5 mg L−1, 7.5 mg L−1) was examined. Compared with the control group, it was determined that the number of developing oocytes reduced in the experimental groups. There was a significant increase in atretic oocytes, an increase in the level of degenerate oocytes in a dose-dependent manner, and deformation in oocytes became prominent.
The genus Lecane is highly diverse, there are 209 species, most of which inhabits tropical aquatic systems. In Quintana Roo 42 species have been reported, one of these is Lecane bulla described at the widest distribution throughout the Yucatan peninsula however; their morphotypes and demographic features are unknown. Therefore, the objective of this work was identify the presence of morphotypes L. bulla and their life history traits. We evaluated life history and morphometric data of females and asexual and sexual eggs from the populations were established from clonal strains, which remained in laboratory conditions for 6 months. They were kept in a bioclimatic chamber with photoperiod of 12 hours of light and 12 hours darkness, at a 25 ± 2 °C, and were feeding with the green algae Nannochloropsis oculata at 1 × 106 cell/ml. Thirty-four clonal strains from six locations were analyzed. Statistical analysis determined significant differences between morphometric measurements (p < 0.001) in the six localities as well as showed statistically significant differences in all demographic parameters. In conclusion, this study indicates the possible coexistence in the same geographical area of two different morphotypes of L. bulla, one is a small-sized distributed in the northwest of Quintana Roo and another large-sized in the southwest.
It is important to determine the water quality of the creeks in the Lake Sapanca basin since it is used for drinking water supply. For this purpose, environmental parameters and diatom assemblages as biological quality components were investigated to determine the ecological status of eight creeks with monthly intervals between March 2015 and February 2016. During the studied period, 19 taxa increased their relative abundance higher than 30% in at least one sample and showed a different seasonal pattern. Main nutrients [(nitrate-nitrogen, orthophosphate, total phosphorus (TP)] and some other parameters (specific conductance, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen) had strong impacts on the distribution of diatom assemblages. The ecological status of the creeks was characterized by using four different diatom indices, however, only Trophic Index Turkey (TIT) represented significant positive correlations with log (TP) gradient and separated the creeks as good and moderate ecological status. According to TIT, the 4th and 6th stations had a good ecological condition and were characterized by pollution-sensitive species such as Cymbella affinis, Reimeria sinuata, and Nitzschia dissipata. On the other hand, TIT resulted in the other stations having moderate ecological conditions, which had high nutrient levels and EC. Moreover, the occurrence of pollution-tolerant taxa such as Gomphonema angustatum, Ulnaria ulna, and Achnanthidium affine endorsed the moderate ecological conditions in these creeks. Based on the results, the TIT as a biological metric could be a useful tool for the assessment of running waters in the Sakarya river basin.
This study revalidates Barbatula hispanica, previously considered a junior synonym of B. quignardi. This species is found in the Ebro drainage and in Cantabria (Spain) as well as in the Adour drainage (Southwestern France). It is characterized by an upper lip with a well-marked medial incision and an interorbital width 18.5–33.7% of the HL. The species delineation is corroborated by the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 molecular marker. We provide the sequence of 12S rDNA (950 bp) as reference for environmental DNA studies, and discuss also the taxonomy of B. quignardi which would be restricted to the Lez River.
The debates about the extent to which phytoplankton in freshwater ecosystems are regulated by top-down or bottom-up forces have been ongoing for decades. This study examines the effects of bottom-up and top-down factors on the phytoplankton functional groups in a eutrophic lake. Phytoplankton and zooplankton were sampled and physical-chemical variables measured from May 2019 to October 2019 in Lake Hulun, China. Approximately 43 phytoplankton species were observed and grouped into 23 functional groups. For the zooplankton, about 27 species were observed and classified into 8 functional groups. The study revealed that the bottom-up effects of physical-chemical variables on some phytoplankton functional groups was stronger than the top-down effects of zooplankton. Water temperature (WT), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), conductivity (Cond), water transparency (SD), and dissolved oxygen (DO) significant influence the biomass of the phytoplankton functional groups. The biomass of phytoplankton functional groups was influenced positively by nutrient availability likely because nutrients influence the growth and reproduction of phytoplankton in freshwater. WT and DO had a positive influence on biomass of phytoplankton functional groups. Conversely, phytoplankton biomass revealed a decreasing trend when SD and Cond significantly increased. This study showed that zooplankton functional groups were positively correlated with phytoplankton biomass implying that the top-down control of phytoplankton by the zooplankton in the lake is not strong enough to produce a negative effect. It is evident that the zooplankton functional groups in Lake Hulun are controlled more by bottom-up force than top-down.
The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns in species composition of ciliates, in rural streams, affected by agricultural activities, and urban streams, impacted by domestic wastewater. Samplings were taken in two different periods of the year, in the headwater, middle and mouth stretch of ten streams. We recorded 143 species of ciliates, distributed in 14 groups, standing out Hymenostomatia, Peritrichia and Hypotrichia. Our results showed significant spatial (between rural and urban streams) and, especially, temporal differences (between winter and summer periods) in the ciliates taxonomic composition. Such differences seem to be not related to the organic load that was quite similar among streams and periods sampled. Rather, the changes in ciliates composition are probably driving mainly by other enviromental variables such as resources, determined by the spatial diferences in light availability, and flow water velocity and discharge, which present high temporal dissimilarity.
Triclosan (TCS) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent found in personal care, household, veterinary, medical, and industrial products. TCS has been detected in soil, sediment, and surface water. In the current work, the effects of acute exposure to TCS on gill and liver tissues of zebrafish were evaluated. Adult zebrafish were treated with sublethal concentrations of TCS (34, 85, and 170 μg/L) for 120 h. Gill and liver samples were removed and embedded in paraffin for histopathological investigations. TCS induced aneurysm, capillary dilation, lamellar disorganization, hyperplasia, epithelial lifting, and desquamation in the gills. Liver specimens showed sinusoidal dilation, congestion, vacuolization, hepatocellular degeneration, and necrosis. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to observe the apoptotic effect of TCS. Accordingly, no apoptotic cells were detected in the specimens of 34 μg/L of TCS exposed gills, while the slides of 85 and 170 μg/L of TCS treated gills showed a high number of TUNEL-positive cells. In the liver, no TUNEL-positive cells were identified in 34 μg/L of TCS treated samples of zebrafish. 85 and 170 μg/L of TCS exposed livers showed few hepatic parenchymal cells undergoing apoptosis.
Phytoplankton are the primary producers in all the aquatic ecosystems and play an important role in key biogeochemical processes that are linked to the higher trophic levels and climate variability. The present study deals with the phytoplankton dynamics, biomass and physicochemical features in freshwater reservoir, Tillari, western India. The reservoir experience seasonal stratification and mixing associated changes in the biogeochemical aspects especially the phytoplankton community and chlorophyll a (hereafter, Chl a). The influence of seasonality was lesser in the deeper water in the reservoir. Buildup in phytoplankton biomass (up to 6.6 mg m−3) was observed in the upper strata of the water column (epilimnion) during the monsoon period (June–July) and winter (December) as a result of nutrient enrichment from the hypolimnion. Among nutrients, nitrate was associated with buildup of Chl a in the epilimnion during summer (r2 = 0.7). A total of 91 phytoplankton species were identified with major contribution by charophytes and chlorophytes. The dominant phytoplankton species belonged to genera Staurastrum, Cosmarium, Aulacoseira, Nephrocytium and Shroederia. Charophytes made a remarkable presence during the whole study period in the well oxygenated epilimnion as well as in the hypolimnion with relatively low oxygen. Diatom, the major silica sinking group was relatively less abundant. Keeping the importance of the reservoir in view, the understanding of phytoplankton community from this poorly explored reservoir with respect to influencing factors is a very vital baseline information. Thus, to design and evaluate the management strategies for the reservoir, continuous monitoring and processes studies is warranted.
For decades, La Redonda lagoon was an excellent location for fishing the largemouth bass (Micopterus salmoides, Lacepède) in Cuba. There are indications that the species disappeared from the lagoon in 2009. Three water surveys were carried out in 2013 and 2014. Physicochemical parameters, including nutrients, were measured in all surveys. Chlorophyll a and water transparency were only measured in November 2013. Results showed that this lagoon is a fresh to brackish water system, with common salinization episodes. There were some hypoxic conditions, but mean dissolved oxygen value was above 5.0 ± 2.8 mg L−1 for the entire survey period. The trophic state was evaluated as oligotrophic and Nitrogen and Phosphorus were limiting in most of the survey sites. The Habitat Suitability Index model (HSI) for largemouth bass had a mean value of 0.63 ± 0.02 (moderate degree of suitability). All results showed that bass recovery could be possible in La Redonda lagoon, but management criteria are necessary. The largemouth bass recovery could help to increase visitations of American anglers to this place and a portion of the revenue could be used to conduct environmental monitoring and studies of the largemouth bass ecology in Cuba.
Rivers of French Guiana are still little invaded by non-native fish, but several fish introductions were recently recorded through the development of aquarium fish trade and fish farms. Here we report records of 11 non-native fish species. Among them, four (Cichla monoculus,Heros efasciatus,Mesonauta guyanaeandPoecilia reticulata) are established and one of them (Heros efasciatus) is rapidly increasing its spatial range. Two species (Hyphessobrycon equesandPterophyllum scalare) were not retrieved in recent records and are probably extinct from French Guiana. The establishment status of the five other species (Arapaima gigas,Colossoma macropomum,Cyprinus carpio,Oreochromis mossambicusandOsteoglossum bicirrhosum) is uncertain and only a few specimens were observed in the wild. Nevertheless, these species, intensively reared in nearby countries, belong to highly invasive species able to cause detrimental impacts on recipient ecosystems. Those first occurrences of invasive fish species in French Guiana should therefore act as an early warning for both researchers and environmental managers.
Excess phosphorus and nitrogen inputs into freshwater ecosystems is one of the main causes of expansion of harmful cyanobacterial blooms worldwide. This work was conducted to study the impacts of phosphorus leaching from the exploitation of phosphate mines present in the watershed of Foum-Gleita Reservoir (Mauritania) on the water quality and its major contribution to the proliferation of harmful cyanobacteria throughout the year. The physicochemical parameters, the occurrence and abundance of phytoplankton (including cyanobacteria), and the microcystins concentration were monitored monthly from September 2017 to August 2018. The relationships between limnological and biological variables were explored by using Pearson's correlation and forward stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis. Microcystins were detected by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Our results showed that this reservoir can be classified as hypereutrophic throughout the year and that Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) and Dolichospermum flos-aquae (D. flos-aquae) were dominant species during the rainy season (July-September), and only the congener microcystin-LR (MC-LR) was detected with a peak at 3.55 µg L−1. Pearson's correlation and MLR analysis showed that water temperature pH, phosphorus, nitrogen, and iron concentrations were the most important variables accounting for M. aeruginosa and D. flos-aquae abundance and MC-LR concentration. Our study provides new insight into the effects of moderate nitrogen concentrations on phytoplankton community composition with dominance of the cyanobacteria phylum in phosphorus-rich freshwater ecosystems.
On Cozumel Island, access to freshwater depends on the extraction of the resource from the aquifer located north of the island (catchment area). Water resource management on the island must be based on updated knowledge of the indicator dynamics related to the recharge of the aquifer, groundwater extraction and the distribution of the resource. In this study, trends, variations and time series of 30 years of monthly data for precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration, and estimated aquifer recharge were calculated for the catchment area. Additionally, groundwater extraction, water consumption for the main uses over a 13-year period (monthly data), and the 5-year status of wells were considered. The results show decreasing trends in precipitation and estimated recharge volumes in the catchment area, in addition to increasing trends in mean air temperature, evapotranspiration, water extraction volumes and consumption by the commercial sector for the considered time periods. Additionally, an increase in dejected (77%) and reposed (38%) wells within the catchment area was observed. Evidence from this study suggests a dynamic behaviour of the analysed indicators over time that increases pressure on karstic, Caribbean aquifers for which monthly monitoring and data analysis are encouraged as the basis for adequate management.
This study aimed to determine the age, growth, mortality, and population structure of the economically important cyprinid silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) in the middle and lower reaches of the Pearl River. A total of 297 silver carp were sampled quarterly from the catches of gillnet fishermen, at six sites, between June 2019 and September 2020. Standard length of the specimens ranged from 130 to 585 mm, and body weight ranged from 45.5 to 3930 g. The length–weight relationship parameter b values reached 3.015. Age was determined through examination and measurements of fish scales, and the age composition of the sampled silver carp varied from 0+ to 4+. Fitting the new data to the von Bertalanffy growth model, we obtained an asymptotic size (L ∞) of 1107 mm, k of 0.135, and t0 of −0.666 for silver carp in this stretch of the river. The calculated growth performance index ϕ and estimated longevity tmax were 5.22 and 21.56, respectively. The rates of total mortality, natural mortality, and fishing mortality were calculated as 0.4997, 0.1621, and 0.3377, respectively, while the exploitation ratio was evaluated as 0.6757. The overall results confirm overexploitation of this resource in the middle and lower reaches of the Pearl River. It was concluded that this species should be protected from capture until at least 790 mm in standard length, representing an optimal minimum size for capture to benefit conservation of the species and to sustainably develop this valuable fishery.
We investigated trait-environment relationships of co-occurring aquatic Coleoptera specifically true water beetles in anthropogenic ponds from the Western Ghats, India for the first time. Our objectives were to: (1) identify species assemblages; (2) study species traits; (3) study trait-environment relationships of co-occurring species. We analysed 132 samples collected using standardised quantitative method during the years 2016 and 2017. We found 16 significant assemblages using Fager's index, where most of the pairs have body size ratio of 1.3 or more. For example,Laccophilus parvulus and Hydaticus satoipair has body size ratio of 3.98, and both are predators, indicating that body size is a function of food size. Moreover, factor analysis revealed three major swimming categories of studied beetles, namely fast swimmers, maneuverers and poor swimmers. Further, the RLQ analysis, and combined approach of RLQ and fourth-corner analysis showed that environmental variables affected species traits. For instance, odonate nymphs and submerged vegetation were positively associated with fast swimmers likeLaccophilusinefficiensandHydaticus satoi. The assemblage of congenersHydroglyphus inconstansandH. flammulatuscan be predator-mediated as these beetles showed negative association with odonate nymphs as well as competitive to obtain resource by showing positive association with chironomid larvae. Therefore, the traits studied were important for ecological performances of species in ponds. This study has also highlighted the importance of anthropogenic ponds in the Western Ghats as biodiversity refuges of ecologically unique and evolutionary old major extant lineages of water beetles.
It is widely known that pesticides generally do not show target specificity, and off-target species are strikingly affected by these chemicals. In the current work, histological changes in skeletal muscles of zebrafish (Danio rerio) caused by fonofos, an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor organophosphate insecticide, were examined. Zebrafish were treated with 1 mg/L, 2 mg/L and 4 mg/L of fonofos for 96 hours. Skeletal muscle samples were removed from the pectoral region and embedded in paraffin. Sections were stained with Mayer's Hematoxylin and Eosin, Gomori's Trichrome and Periodic Acid Schiff techniques. Histopathological alterations were investigated by light microscopy. Fibrosis, intramyofibrillar vacuoles, disintegrated myofibrils, splitting of myofibers, atrophic and disappeared fibers, histoarchitectural loss, necrosis and progressive decrement in glycogen content were noted. Muscle fiber diameter measurements were also performed. Statistical analysis showed that measured fiber diameters of all fonofos exposed groups were significantly different from the control group, and they decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggested that fonofos caused significant myoarchitectural impairments in non-target freshwater zebrafish.
