Chronic effects of tributyltin on the caprellid amphipod Caprella danilevskii

In order to examine the biological effects by TBT exposure, experiments involving the exposure of five levels of TBT concentrations (0, 10, 100, 1000 and 10,000 ng l−1) were conducted on the caprellid amphipod Caprella danilevskii, over a generation after hatching. Marked delays in growth and molting during the early developmental stage and maturation were found in both 100 and 1000 ng TBTCl l−1 concentrations in spite of the sex. All specimens died in 10,000 ng TBTCl l−1 within 4 days after hatching. Inhibition of maturation and reproduction such as delaying in the achievement of maturity and a decrease in the number of juveniles hatched was apparent in 10 and 100 ng TBTCl l−1 concentrations. Furthermore, brood loss, and failure in egg formation and hatching were observed as the TBT concentration became higher. No significant changes in sex ratio were seen at any of the TBT exposure levels during hatching and maturation in the present study. This phenomenon was different from a previous study in which the proportion of females was increased with an increase in TBT concentrations in the embryonic exposure experiment. This suggests that sex disturbance is induced during the embryonic stage of the species. A drastic decrease in survival rate was observed at 10 ng TBTCl l−1 (25%) which corresponds to the mean level in coastal waters. Therefore, the present encountering ambient TBT concentration may influence populations of C. danilevskii in the coastal environment.