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LIFE-HISTORY AND TOXICOLOGICAL COMPARISONS OF TEMPERATE AND SUBTROPICAL MYSIDS
Citation:
Lussier, S.M., A. Kuhn, M. Chammas, AND J. Sewall. LIFE-HISTORY AND TOXICOLOGICAL COMPARISONS OF TEMPERATE AND SUBTROPICAL MYSIDS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-91/292 (NTIS PB92124304), 1991.
Description:
Field and laboratory populations of the temperate mysid Mysidopsis bigelowi were compared with Mysidopsis bahia to assess the former's suitability as a test organism for toxicological studies. ysidopsis bigelowi is widely distributed and often sympatric with M. bahia, a well-established subtropical test species. he overall sex ratio for both species was 1.0 and both had a similar intermolt period at 20 degrees C, but M. bigelowi had a longer intermolt period at 25 degrees C. he correlation of female length to the number of young per brood was strongly linear for cultured M. bahia and for pooled natural populations of M. bigelowi. espite a decrease in size of females and in number of young produced by the temperate mysid over the summer season, productivity of June and July field collections exceeded that of cultured subtropical females, and developmental times were similar. ultures of the two species were similar in numbers of young produced, although the first brood of M. bahia developed earlier. he mean life span and intrinsic rate of growth for M. bahia were twice those for M. bigelowi, although generation times were similar. cute toxicity tests showed similar sensitivity for both species to seven compounds when 96-h LC50s (concentrations lethal to 50% of mysids) were compared. imilar sensitivity and compatible growth and reproductive rates establish that M. bigelowi is an appropriate test species, especially in temperature systems where lower test temperatures are necessary. ts availability for field collection in eastern United States coastal waters and its amenability to laboratory culture make it a cost-effective test organism.