Abstract
ABSTRACT Alterations of the burrowing behavior of two benthic invertebrates living in intertidal mudflats, the polychaete Nereis diversicolor and the bivalve Scrobicularia plana, were studied in individuals exposed to soluble copper. The design of the contamination procedure took into account the results assessing the influence of some natural factors potentially able to influence burrowing (artificial vs. natural sediment, lighting, size of the shell for bivalves). Animals were exposed for 4 d to concentrations ranging from 25 to 150 μ g Cu l− 1. At the end of exposure, the burrowing kinetics in clean sediment were determined after 1 and 2 d, then the animals were frozen until acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity determination. Even at the lowest tested concentrations, copper caused hypoactivity in organisms belonging to both species studied. Behavioral impairments were not related to AChE activity inhibition. Metabolical or physiological disturbances could be the cause of these impairments. Concentrations affecting burrowing behavior were below those responsible for lethality in these species.
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