Physiological and behavioral responses of Orchestia gammarellus (Amphipoda,Talitridae) towards trace elements contamination soil |
| |
Authors: | Raja Jelassi Hajer Khemaissia Anas Ayari Dhouha Bohli-Abderrazek Chedliya Ghemari Maryline Raimond Catherine Souty-Grosset Karima Nasri-Ammar |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Tunis El Manar University, Higher Institute of Medical Technologies of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia;2. Tunis El Manar University, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Research Laboratory of Diversity, Management and Conservation of Biological Systems, El Manar II, Tunis, Tunisia;3. University of Poitiers, Laboratory Ecology and Biology of Interactions (UMR CNRS 7267 EBI), Team Ecology Evolution Symbiosis, University of Poitiers, 5 street Albert Turpain, TSA 51106, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, Poitiers, France |
| |
Abstract: | Effects of trace elements on the hepatopancreas ultrastructure and on the locomotor activity rhythm were investigated in the amphipod talitrid Orchestia gammarellus collected from Bizerte lagoon banks situated in the north of Tunisia. Animals were exposed to a series of contaminated soil with different concentrations of cadmium and zinc. The locomotor activity rhythm was studied under constant darkness. Histopathological analysis showed that the trace elements, especially the Cd, induced significant changes in the morphology and in the ultrastructural organization of hepatopancreatic cells. The significant alterations obtained were dose dependent. Concerning the behavioral response, results revealed the presence of two components whatever the experimental conditions. In addition, a great inter-individual variability of the locomotor rhythm was observed. Patterns were in majority bimodal for the control individuals and became unimodal and multimodal when exposed under Cd and Zn, respectively. Furthermore, ultradian and circadian periods were determined. The circadian period lengthened after Zn exposure. In addition, the locomotor activity rhythm was more stable for control individuals. However, those exposed to Cd were less active. |
| |
Keywords: | constant darkness hepatopancreas locomotor rhythm Orchestia Talitridae trace elements |
|
|