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Chronic exposure to polyethylene and tire wear particles changes the associative preferences in cyprinid fishes
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This study exposed native crucian carp and invasive gibel carp to polyethylene and tire wear particle microplastics over time, finding that chronic exposure altered associative preferences in both species. The results suggest that microplastic pollution may affect cognitive functions in fish and could influence competitive dynamics between native and invasive species.
This study aims to contribute to our understanding of how pollution with different microplastic types such as polyethylene and tire wear particles affects cognitive functions of the native crucian carp and invasive gibel carp, and to explore the potential competitive advantages of invasive gibel carp in polluted environments. The findings will provide insights into the broader implications of pollutants on the species social associative skills.
More Papers Like This
Chronic exposure to polyethylene and tire wear particles changes the associative behaviour in cyprinid fishes.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers fed native crucian carp and invasive gibel carp polyethylene (PE) and tire wear particles (TWPs) for 60 days, then measured swimming and social behaviors. Tire wear particles—but not PE—significantly disrupted movement patterns, with the two species responding in opposite ways: native carp became more exploratory while invasive carp withdrew spatially.
Long-term sublethal exposure to polyethylene and tire wear particles: Effects on risk-taking behaviour in invasive and native fish
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Fish that ate tiny amounts of plastic (from everyday items and tire dust that washes into waterways) for two months became bolder and took more risks, likely making them easier targets for predators. While this study looked at fish behavior rather than humans directly, it's a reminder that the plastic particles we're increasingly finding in water, soil, and food chains can quietly reshape how animals act and survive, raising questions about the broader ripple effects of plastic pollution on ecosystems we depend on.
Selective feeding behavior determines species specific sensitivity to microplastics: A comparative physiological and behavioral study in two important cyprinid carps common carp and Catla
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Researchers compared microplastic ingestion and toxicity between surface-feeding Catla and bottom-feeding common carp, finding that carp indiscriminately consumed polystyrene particles and developed severe oxidative stress and neurotoxicity — a 13.5-fold higher integrated biomarker response — while Catla actively avoided the particles and showed no measurable physiological harm.
Microplastics Alter Predator Preferences of Prey throughAssociative Learning
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Researchers used the nematode C. elegans to show that microplastic-contaminated food causes animals to prefer cleaner food sources through associative learning, and that prior experience with contaminated food shapes these preferences — suggesting ecological feeding interactions may be broadly altered by plastic pollution.
Can Fish Escape the Evolutionary Trap Induced by Microplastics?
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Researchers tested three fish species—bass, carp, and goldfish—to quantify how their sensory systems and social context influence microplastic ingestion. Bass responded to visual food cues, carp to olfactory ones, and goldfish relied on oral processing; group size and fasting time altered MP ingestion, showing that species-specific foraging strategies create an evolutionary trap around microplastics.
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