Elsevier

Water Research

Volume 28, Issue 2, February 1994, Pages 369-372
Water Research

Laboratory and field evaluation of a behavioural bioassay—The Gammarus pulex (L.) precopula separation (GaPPS) test

https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(94)90274-7Get rights and content

Abstract

A bioassay, based upon the reproductive behaviour of the amphipod Gammarus pulex, was evaluated for its application in detecting freshwater pollutants. In the laboratory the bioassay proved to be useful in rapidly detecting a wide range of pollutants at concentrations significantly below those causing acute lethal toxicity and in the field it responded rapidly to a variety of pollutant inputs. The results indicate that this bioassay is simple, cost-effective and reliable and could be employed effectively for detecting and quantifying pollutants.

References (31)

  • T.R. Birkhead et al.

    Mate selection and precopulatory guarding in Gammarus pulex

    Z. Tierpsycol.

    (1980)
  • J.H.R. Gee

    Population dynamics and morphometrics of G. pulex (L.) evidence of seasonal food limitation in a freshwater detritivore

    Freshwat. Biol.

    (1988)
  • H.B.N. Hynes

    The reproductive cycle of some British freshwater Gammaridae

    J. Anim. Ecol.

    (1955)
  • T.M. Iversen et al.

    Life-cycle, drift and production of Gammarus pulex (L.) (Amphipoda) in a Danish spring

    Freshwat. Biol.

    (1977)
  • M.A. Learner et al.

    A comparison of some classification methods used to determine benthic macro-invertebrate species associations in river survey work based on data obtained from the River Ely, South Wales

    Freshwat. Biol.

    (1983)
  • Cited by (46)

    • The effects of wastewater effluent on multiple behaviours in the amphipod, Gammarus pulex

      2020, Environmental Pollution
      Citation Excerpt :

      The precopulatory disruption assay was established by Poulton and Pascoe (1990) who proposed that the time taken for precopula amphipods to separate is indirectly correlated with the concentration of pollutant to which they are exposed. As a measure of toxicity variations on this test have been repeatedly used in measuring the effect of heavy metals (Poulton and Pascoe, 1990; McCahon and Poulton, 1991), herbicides (Pascoe et al., 1994), and pesticides (Malbouisson et al., 1995; Cold and Forbes, 2004; Negro et al., 2013; Pedersen et al., 2013) and they all concur that re-pairing is less likely after exposure to toxins. The results of the current study show interestingly the opposite, male Gammarus exposed to either effluents took significantly less time to pair than controls.

    • The contribution of a niche-based approach to ecological risk assessment: Using macroinvertebrate species under multiple stressors

      2014, Environmental Pollution
      Citation Excerpt :

      By contrast, we observed a greater proportion of larger-sized individuals in the site most contaminated by metals (76% of individuals ≥6 mm), which could result from an impact on reproduction or a greater vulnerability of juveniles to contamination. Some studies have shown that both precopulatory pairing (Pascoe et al., 1994; Malbouisson et al., 1995) and offspring production (Maltby and Naylor, 1990) can be altered by exposure to toxic chemicals. Similarly, we also observed rarefaction of the last larval stages for E. ignita with increasing contamination, which could reduce adult emergence and cause cross-ecosystem cascades (e.g. Knight et al., 2005).

    • Pairing behavior and reproduction in Hyalella azteca as sensitive endpoints for detecting long-term consequences of pesticide pulses

      2013, Aquatic Toxicology
      Citation Excerpt :

      However, very few studies have investigated effects of pesticides on pairing behavior of H. azteca. Previous studies have found that precopulatory pairing in H. azteca was impaired by pesticide exposure (Blockwell et al., 1998; Pandey et al., 2011), and disruption of pairs of other amphipod species due to environmental changes including the presence of toxicants has been described in the literature (Davis, 1978; Linden, 1976; Malbouisson et al., 1994; Pascoe et al., 1994). Pairs of Gammarus pulex exposed for 1 h to the pyrethroid esfenvalerate separated during exposure, and subsequent reproductive output was significantly reduced during a 14 day monitoring period in clean water (Cold and Forbes, 2004).

    • Closer to reality - the influence of toxicity test modifications on the sensitivity of Gammarus roeseli to the insecticide imidacloprid

      2012, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
      Citation Excerpt :

      This different life cycle, feeding strategy and behavior may make them more vulnerable to pesticides under natural conditions in the long-term view. Indeed, the number of laboratory toxicity tests as well as field and cosm experiments using gammarids as test organisms has increased lately (Bundschuh et al., 2011; Adam et al., 2009; Bloor et al., 2005; Pascoe et al., 1994). Stampfli et al. (2011) recently stated that the environmental context seems to be very important for ecotoxicological evaluations.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text