Abstract
The advantage of using terrestrial isopods in toxicity studies is that a battery of parameters can be tested at different levels of biological complexity. Feeding parameters for example link organism level response to potential ecological consequences but a problem with using feeding parameters in toxicity tests with terrestrial isopods is their high variability. The aim of our study was to set benchmark values for feeding parameters for isopod Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Crustacea) in laboratory-controlled experiments. In the work presented here, the daily feeding rate of the central 50% of the control population of Porcellio scaber and a correlation between feeding rate and isopod weight were set. Values outside these ranges need additional evaluation to increase the relevance of test outcomes. We suggest using benchmark values for feeding parameters as well as the coefficient of variation (a) to identify animals with altered feeding parameters with respect to controls, and (b) to assess the data quality in each experiment.
Highlights
Adaptations in feeding behaviour have allowed terrestrial isopods to reduce food consumption or be selective among different food items (Zidar et al 2012). Their compensatory ability when consuming “low-quality” food to lengthen the food retention time in the gut is important (Wieser 1984). Such feeding behaviour responses to different foods are used in toxicity tests as organism level responses, which can be used to assess the effects of chemicals added to food (Drobne and Hopkin 1994, Drobne 1997, Loureiro et al 2006)
The aim of our study was to set the limits for feeding parameters of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Crustacea) in laboratory-controlled experiments, which could serve as a benchmark for feeding rate of control, non-stressed animals
The results of the correlation analysis showed that P. scaber weight and feeding rate
Summary
Numerous studies have analysed feeding behaviour and food preferences of terrestrial isopods, which have an important ecological role as decomposers of leaf litter and are one of the model organisms used in laboratory toxicity testing and terrestrial ecotoxicology (Drobne and Hopkin 1994, Drobne 1997, Loureiro et al 2006, Zidar et al 2012).Terrestrial isopods are saprophagous animals and have no single food source that meets all their nutritional needs. Adaptations in feeding behaviour have allowed terrestrial isopods to reduce food consumption or be selective among different food items (Zidar et al 2012) Their compensatory ability when consuming “low-quality” food to lengthen the food retention time in the gut is important (Wieser 1984). Such feeding behaviour responses to different foods are used in toxicity tests as organism level responses, which can be used to assess the effects of chemicals added to food (Drobne and Hopkin 1994, Drobne 1997, Loureiro et al 2006). A significant benefit of using feeding parameters as toxicity endpoints is their potential to anticipate population and ecosystem consequences (De Coen and Janssen 2003, Lardies et al 2004)
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