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Polystyrene microplastics impaired the feeding and swimming behavior of mysid shrimp Neomysis japonica
Summary
Mysid shrimp larvae exposed to polystyrene and carboxylated polystyrene microplastics showed impaired feeding, reduced swimming activity, and growth inhibition, with carboxylated PS showing greater toxicity due to higher bioaccumulation in the stomach. The study demonstrates that surface chemistry of microplastics significantly influences their behavioral and physiological effects on marine crustaceans.
Growing evidences revealed the deleterious impacts of microplastics (MPs) on marine organisms. However, the effects of MPs on the movement behavior of marine crustacean is poorly understood. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the physiological and behavioral responses of mysid shrimp (Neomysis japonica) larvae to polystyrene (PS) and carboxylated polystyrene (PS-COOH). PS-COOH presented a greater physiological toxicity to shrimp larvae compared to PS, causing significant lethal and growth inhibition effect, owing to bioaccumulation of MPs inside stomach. Both two MPs decreased the feeding efficiency of larvae, showing weakened predation competence. Moreover, reduced hunting and/or explorative ability of shrimps caused by MPs was also identified, which was evidenced by an overall decrease in swimming activity, range and frequency after exposure. Our study firstly highlighted that micron-sized polystyrene particles had the negative effects on the movement behavior of mysid shrimp larvae, thus posing potential hazard to population dynamics and ecological function of marine crustacean.