Hampered Survival Strategies and Altered Fish Behaviour Under the Threat of Fluoxetine, Microplastics, Mercury Toxicity, Thermal Discharge, and Pesticides

Human activities have caused significant ecological disruptions in aquatic environments, affecting fish behavior and threatening ecosystem stability. Mercury pollution, stemming from industrial and mining activities, infiltrates water bodies and accumulates in fish tissues, disrupting their neurological functions. This leads to altered behaviors such as disoriented swimming, impaired predator avoidance, and compromised foraging, jeopardizing their survival and ecological interactions. The bio magnification of mercury intensifies its toxic effects up the food chain, particularly affecting predatory fish. Microplastics, ubiquitous in water bodies due to human consumption and waste, pose another significant threat. Fish ingest these particles, which accumulate in their digestive systems and induce stress responses that alter behavior, reduce feeding activity, and impair reproduction. Thermal water discharge, a consequence of industrial processes and power generation, causes thermal stress in fish. This alters their behavior, forces changes in habitat and migration patterns, and exacerbates oxygen depletion, further compromising fish health. Pesticides entering waterways via runoff disrupt fish neurotransmitter systems and affect sensory perception, motor coordination, and reproductive behavior. Pharmaceutical pollutants like fluoxetine, an antidepressant, disrupt fish neurotransmitter systems, affecting behaviors such as swimming patterns, reduced foraging, and impaired predator avoidance. These pollutants can cascade through aquatic food webs, influencing community dynamics. Fish suffocate due to algal blooms that reduce oxygen levels, changing their behavior and habitat suitability. Eutrophication is caused by wastewater discharge and agricultural runoff. Addressing these multifaceted threats through sustainable practices is critical to preserving aquatic ecosystems and ensuring the long-term health of fish populations worldwide.