Effects of teflubenzuron on larvae and juveniles of the polychaete Capitella SP. B from Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

The insecticide teflubenzuron is currently employed by salmon farms as an in-feed compound to control ectoparasite infestations, and its occurrence in the sediments surrounding the farms could thus pose a hazard to local infauna. The effect of teflubenzuron on mortality, growth and metamorphosis of larvae of cultured Capitella sp. B were investigated. This is a poecilogonic species with two hatching periods. Larvae and juveniles produced during the first and second releases were exposed to sediment spiked with teflubenzuron (0, 8.4, 25 and 41.8 μg/g dry wt sediment) for a 31 days period and daily observations were performed. Teflubenzuron incorporated to sediment produced larval and juvenile mortality and a strong reduction of body size from juveniles of the two release periods. Larval metamorphosis was delayed without a clear dose-response relationship. This preliminary study suggests that teflubenzuron is harmful to early developmental stages of Capitella sp. B. This fact has relevant ecological effects such as a delay in recruitment of individuals into natural populations.