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Behavioural responses in Gambusia affinis following exposure to emerging contaminants
Summary
Exposing western mosquitofish to three emerging contaminants—synthetic estrogen EE2, nanoplastics, and tire wear chemical 6PPD-Q—revealed contaminant-specific behavioral changes including altered boldness, predation rates, and mate choice. Nanoplastics distributed across multiple organs including the brain, raising concerns about neurological effects and potential enhancement of invasive success in this species.
Environmental pollution is escalating rapidly, with emerging contaminants posing significant threats to aquatic ecosystems. To understand these threats, the field of behavioural ecotoxicology is advancing, exploring the complex interactions between contaminants and animal behaviour. Subtle but profound changes in behaviour in fish serve as sensitive biomarkers of toxicity, providing early warnings of sublethal effects that traditional toxicological assessments may overlook. My thesis aims to investigate these nuanced behavioural effects of three such contaminants—17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), nanoplastics, and 6PPD-Q—on the invasive freshwater fish, the western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Fish were exposed to environmentally relevant levels of each contaminant over 21 days (EE2), 7 days (nanoplastics), and 24 hours (6PPD-Q) and a suite of ecologically relevant behaviours were assessed, including boldness, exploration, anxiety, activity, sociability, feeding, predation, mate choice, and courtship. My findings reveal nuanced behavioural responses in Gambusia affinis to various contaminants. EE2 influenced male mate choice, with control males spending more time with exposed females. Nanoplastics significantly increased boldness, activity, and predation rates in female fish and were able to distribute across multiple organs, including the brain, raising concerns about potential neurological impacts. While exposure to 6PPD-Q led to increased predation rates in female fish. These results suggest that some behaviours are particularly sensitive to contaminant exposure in G. affinis, while others remain stable. Enhanced boldness, increased feeding rates, and altered reproductive behaviours may enhance the invasive success of G. affinis, especially given their preexisting competitive edge over native species. These findings highlight the importance of behavioural studies for improving ecological risk assessments and guiding environmental protection efforts.