Watercress and water quality: the effect of phenethyl isothiocyanate on the mating behaviour of Gammarus pulex
Watercress and water quality: the effect of phenethyl isothiocyanate on the mating behaviour of Gammarus pulex
Watercress releases phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) upon wounding as a defence against herbivores. PEITC levels released from watercress farms are elevated due to cropping, washing, and processing, and are thought to lead to adverse effects on Gammarus pulex in chalk streams. This study elucidates the sublethal effect of PEITC on reproductive behaviour of G. pulex, employing ex situ tests to investigate the disruption of precopular pairing under conditions simulating in situ exposure. Mean time to separation of precopular pairs was 89±6 minutes for watercress wash water (1g watercress per litre water) and 81±15 minutes for pure PEITC (1µl/L). Re-exposure to watercress wash water to simulate the pulsed operation at a watercress farm and did not alter behavioural response. The repeated interruption of reproductive behaviour under in situ conditions would impair long term reproductive success and could explain in part low abundance of G. pulex downstream of watercress farms.
Dixon, M.J.
5c1737c5-2737-4478-b70e-78bb528ec398
Shaw, P.J.
935dfebf-9fb6-483c-86da-a21dba8c1989
Dixon, M.J.
5c1737c5-2737-4478-b70e-78bb528ec398
Shaw, P.J.
935dfebf-9fb6-483c-86da-a21dba8c1989
Dixon, M.J. and Shaw, P.J.
(2011)
Watercress and water quality: the effect of phenethyl isothiocyanate on the mating behaviour of Gammarus pulex.
International Journal of Zoology.
(In Press)
Abstract
Watercress releases phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) upon wounding as a defence against herbivores. PEITC levels released from watercress farms are elevated due to cropping, washing, and processing, and are thought to lead to adverse effects on Gammarus pulex in chalk streams. This study elucidates the sublethal effect of PEITC on reproductive behaviour of G. pulex, employing ex situ tests to investigate the disruption of precopular pairing under conditions simulating in situ exposure. Mean time to separation of precopular pairs was 89±6 minutes for watercress wash water (1g watercress per litre water) and 81±15 minutes for pure PEITC (1µl/L). Re-exposure to watercress wash water to simulate the pulsed operation at a watercress farm and did not alter behavioural response. The repeated interruption of reproductive behaviour under in situ conditions would impair long term reproductive success and could explain in part low abundance of G. pulex downstream of watercress farms.
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Accepted/In Press date: 2011
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Local EPrints ID: 186655
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/186655
ISSN: 1687-8477
PURE UUID: bbb017f0-10e7-4d3e-a3c6-ad261987baec
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Date deposited: 13 May 2011 14:54
Last modified: 11 Dec 2021 03:03
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Author:
M.J. Dixon
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