Acute Toxicity Tests with the Tropical Cladoceran Pseudosida ramosa: The Importance of Using Native Species as Test Organisms

Abstract

Cladocerans have long been used for toxicological assessments of a diverse range of substances. The use of cladocerans in toxicity tests has many advantages, such as their short life cycle, parthenogenetic reproduction (clones), and high sensitivity to toxicants, as well as the easy laboratory maintenance of cultures. The most commonly used cladoceran in ecotoxicological studies of aquatic environments is undoubtedly Daphnia magna. Standard methods using cladocerans as test organisms have been documented and adopted by major international organizations and regulatory agencies of many countries. However, today there is a growing need for improving test organisms and protocols to better reflect local species sensitivity or site-specific conditions. The present study aimed to assess the tropical species Pseudosida ramosa as a potential test organism for ecotoxicological purposes, by carrying out standard acute tests with six reference compounds. Based on the results obtained in the present study and in comparison with other cladocerans, it was found that P. ramosa was more sensitive than Daphnia magna, had a sensitivity similar to that of Daphnia similis, and was less sensitive compared to Ceriodaphnia dubia and C. silvestrii (Neotropical species), except for the salts, sodium chloride and potassium chloride. Also, when P. ramosa was compared with test organisms of other taxonomic groups, we observed that it was more sensitive than most of the others, from simple coelenterates to complex fish. Considering these results and the wide distribution of the cladoceran P. ramosa in tropical and subtropical regions, we suggest that this species can be adopted as a test organism, being a good substitute for the exotic daphnid D. magna, for monitoring of toxicants in freshwaters.