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Adverse impacts of high-density microplastics on juvenile growth and behaviour of the endangered tri-spine horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus
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Researchers exposed endangered juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crabs to three types of high-density microplastics for 100 days and observed negative effects on growth, activity, and survival. Horseshoe crabs exposed to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) had the lowest survival rate at just 30%, compared to 70-90% in other treatments. The study suggests that high-density microplastics in sediments pose a significant threat to this already endangered species.
The impacts of high-density microplastics, namely polyamine 6,6 (nylon), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), on growth and behaviour of the endangered tri-spine horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus were investigated for 100 days. Negative changes in wet weight and prosomal width of the juveniles were observed in all treatments of microplastics, but significant difference was only detected in prosomal width between control and PMMA. T. tridentatus became significantly less active upon exposure to nylon and PET. The extent of burrowing by T. tridentatus did not significantly differ among the treatments but was overall significantly reduced towards day 100. T. tridentatus exposed to PET significantly showed the lowest survival probability (30 %), compared to the other treatments (70-90 %). In conclusion, high-density microplastics compromised growth and behaviour of juvenile horseshoe crabs. Among the polymers that were tested, PET was considered more harmful and associated with higher mortality.
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Polystyrene microplastics impede growth and induce behavioural toxicity in endangered juvenile horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus tridentatus)
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Researchers exposed juvenile horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus tridentatus), an endangered species, to polystyrene microplastics and found significant growth retardation and behavioral abnormalities, raising concern that microplastic pollution may be contributing to population declines in this already threatened species.
Particle size influences physiological responses to chronic exposure to polyethylene particles in juvenile Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus).
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Baby horseshoe crabs exposed to tiny plastic particles for three weeks grew slower, especially when exposed to larger microplastic fragments, even though other health markers looked normal. This suggests microplastics can subtly stunt growth in young marine animals, a reminder that plastic pollution's impact on marine food chains, and potentially the seafood we eat, deserves continued attention.
Differential effects of pristine and aged polystyrene nanoplastics on the first molting process in Tachypleus tridentatus
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) harm baby horseshoe crabs by disrupting their ability to molt, or shed their shells to grow, a critical step for survival. Surprisingly, "weathered" plastic particles (the kind that break down from sunlight exposure in real oceans) caused this harm through different, less-understood mechanisms than fresh plastic particles typically used in lab studies. This matters because most plastic pollution in the environment is aged, not fresh, meaning current safety testing may be underestimating real-world risks to marine life, and potentially to the seafood humans eat.
Age-Dependent Molecular Response Strategies to Microplastic Exposure in the Endangered Horseshoe Crab Tachypleus tridentatus
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Scientists found that young horseshoe crabs react more strongly and chaotically to microplastic pollution than older ones, with the youngest showing bigger disruptions to their metabolism and stress systems. This matters because it shows microplastics can hit developing animals harder than adults—a pattern worth considering for other species, including how early-life exposure to microplastics might affect human infants and children differently than adults.
Dataset of impact of micro and nanoplastic in early juveniles of Limulus polyphemus of the Yucatán Peninsula
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Scientists exposed young horseshoe crabs to tiny plastic particles (microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics) for three weeks to see how it affected their survival, growth, breathing, behavior, and internal stress levels. This matters because horseshoe crabs are a key part of ocean food chains, and understanding how plastic pollution harms marine life early in life can help us predict broader risks—including how plastics moving up the food chain might eventually affect the seafood we eat.
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