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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Swimming behavior affects ingestion of microplastics by fish
ClearFish personality affects their exposure to microplastics
Researchers found that fish personality traits, specifically boldness, significantly affect microplastic exposure in zebrafish, with bolder individuals ingesting more microplastics than shyer ones, suggesting behavioral differences influence contamination risk in wild fish populations.
Microplastic ingestion rates are phenotype-dependent in juvenile anemonefish
Juvenile anemonefish were found to ingest microplastic debris at rates that varied significantly between individuals based on their behavioral phenotype, with bolder fish ingesting more plastic. This suggests that individual personality traits in fish can influence microplastic exposure risk, adding a new dimension to understanding wildlife impacts.
Microplastic ingestion and activity data in juvenile A. ocellaris
This study examined microplastic ingestion in juvenile clownfish, finding that individual variation in activity levels influenced how many particles each fish ingested. Understanding what drives differences in plastic ingestion among individual fish is important for assessing exposure variability in wild populations.
Microplastics exposures of fish: internalization and effects on behavior and growth
This study examined how microplastics affect fish behavior and growth, finding that fish can ingest them but particles pass through the gut relatively quickly with limited effects at tested concentrations. The research highlights challenges in detecting microplastics in aquatic organisms and suggests risk depends heavily on exposure level and particle type.
Variability in the drivers of microplastic consumption by fish across four lake ecosystems
Researchers examined microplastic consumption by three fish species across four lakes in Minnesota and found that ingestion rates varied by species and feeding strategy. Filter-feeding fish consumed microplastics at rates that matched local water contamination levels, while visual feeders did not show the same pattern. The findings indicate that a fish's feeding behavior plays a major role in determining its microplastic exposure.
Ingestion of polyethylene microplastics impacts cichlid behaviour despite having low retention time
Researchers fed juvenile cichlid fish brine shrimp contaminated with polyethylene microplastics and observed significant behavioral changes, including altered activity and feeding patterns, even though the plastic particles passed through the fish quickly. The study suggests that even brief microplastic exposure can disrupt normal fish behavior, which could affect their survival in polluted waterways.
Microplastic in riverine fish is connected to species traits
Researchers measured microplastic contamination in fish and surface waters from three Lake Michigan tributaries and found that a fish's feeding behavior — particularly bottom-feeding — was a stronger predictor of microplastic ingestion than the local water concentration. Round goby bottom-feeders had the highest microplastic loads, suggesting that food web position plays a key role in how microplastics accumulate in freshwater fish.
Uptake routes of microplastics in fishes: practical and theoretical approaches to test existing theories
This experimental study tested multiple proposed mechanisms by which fish ingest microplastics — including prey confusion, accidental ingestion, and trophic transfer — using controlled laboratory conditions, finding that feeding behavior type and prey size relative to particle size are key determining factors.
Effect of biological and environmental factors on microplastic ingestion of commercial fish species
Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in commercially important fish species, evaluating how biological and environmental factors influence ingestion rates across 2,222 individual fish. The study assessed gastrointestinal tract contents to determine the extent and patterns of microplastic contamination. The findings suggest that both species-specific biology and environmental conditions play important roles in determining microplastic ingestion levels in commercial fish.
Microplastics Lead to Hyperactive Swimming Behaviour in Adult Zebrafish
Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics across a wide concentration range and found that microplastics accumulated primarily in the gastrointestinal tract and gills. The study revealed that exposed fish exhibited hyperactive swimming behavior, suggesting that microplastic ingestion can affect locomotor activity even without obvious physical damage to internal organs.
Factors affecting microplastic accumulation by wild fish: A case study in the Nandu River, South China
Researchers examined microplastic accumulation in 179 wild fish across 27 species in the Nandu River in southern China, finding microplastics in over 90% of fish sampled. Surprisingly, factors like fish size, feeding habits, and habitat did not significantly affect how much microplastic fish accumulated, suggesting that intake may be largely random. The study highlights that smaller fish face proportionally higher microplastic exposure relative to their body weight and may be more vulnerable to harmful effects.
The influence of exposure and physiology on microplastic ingestion by the freshwater fish Rutilus rutilus (roach) in the River Thames, UK
Researchers examined microplastic ingestion by roach in the River Thames and found synthetic particles in fish from six of seven sampling sites, with ingestion rates linked to local microplastic exposure levels and fish feeding behavior. The study suggests that both environmental concentration and physiological factors like gut morphology and diet influence how much microplastic freshwater fish consume.
Euryhaline fish larvae ingest more microplastic particles in seawater than in freshwater
Researchers found that euryhaline fish larvae ingested significantly more microplastic particles in seawater than in freshwater, likely due to physiological differences in drinking rates, with implications for understanding marine fish contamination.
Study of feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination in selected creek fishes of northeastern Arabian Sea: A multi-species approach
Researchers studied the feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination of selected fish species, finding that feeding habits directly influence the quantity and type of microplastics ingested. The results demonstrate that trophic position and prey preferences are key predictors of microplastic exposure in wild fish.
Does color play a predominant role in the intake of microplastics fragments by freshwater fish: an experimental approach with Psalidodon eigenmanniorum
Researchers examined whether color influences microplastic ingestion by freshwater fish, finding that fish did not selectively ingest microplastics based on color and instead ingested particles indiscriminately, suggesting that visual selectivity is not a primary driver of microplastic uptake in freshwater species.
The impacts of microplastics on zebrafish behavior depend on initial personality state
Researchers found that microplastic exposure altered zebrafish behavior, including boldness, anxiety, and sociability, but that individual personality traits played a major role in how each fish responded. Fish exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of polyethylene microplastics also showed significant changes in their gut microbiome. The study suggests that personality variation should be considered in toxicology research, as it can explain much of the variability in how organisms respond to pollutants.
Exposure to microplastics impairs fish's major behaviors. A novel threat to aquatic ecosystem
This review synthesises evidence on how microplastic exposure alters key behaviours in fish including feeding, reproduction, predator avoidance, and social interaction. It identifies neurological disruption, chemical co-toxicity, and gut effects as primary mechanisms, and highlights exposure to realistic environmental concentrations as an ongoing knowledge gap.
Microplastic loads within riverine fishes and macroinvertebrates are not predictable from ecological or morphological characteristics
Researchers measured microplastic loads in riverine fish and macroinvertebrates and found that particle counts were not reliably predicted by species ecology or morphology, suggesting that individual variation and local environmental factors play a larger role in microplastic ingestion than feeding guild or habitat alone.
Ecological traits do not predict the uptake of microplastics by fishes in a Neotropical River
Researchers found that ecological traits such as feeding guild, habitat use, and body size do not reliably predict microplastic uptake in fish species from a Neotropical river, suggesting contamination patterns are driven more by local environmental conditions than by species-specific biology.
Water Quality Impact on Fish Behavior: A Review From an Aquaculture Perspective
This review examines how various water quality factors, including microplastic pollution, affect fish behavior in aquaculture settings. Microplastics and other pollutants can alter fish swimming patterns, feeding behavior, stress responses, and social interactions. Understanding these behavioral changes is important for both fish welfare and food production, since stressed or contaminated fish may be lower quality for human consumption.
Microplastics influence size-selected zebrafish behaviour
Scientists exposed fish to microplastics (tiny plastic particles) and found that the contamination changed how the fish behaved - making them less bold and exploratory, but causing them to eat more often. This matters because microplastics are everywhere in our environment, including in seafood we eat, and this study shows these particles can alter animal behavior in ways that might affect entire food chains. The findings help us understand how plastic pollution could be disrupting aquatic ecosystems that humans depend on for food.
Microplastic exposure interacts with habitat degradation to affect behaviour and survival of juvenile fish in the field
Juvenile coral reef fish pulse-fed polystyrene microplastics and then released onto live or degraded coral patches became bolder, more active, and strayed farther from shelter — with microplastic exposure having a larger behavioral effect than habitat degradation — potentially increasing predation risk in the field.
Effects of microplastic exposure on the body condition and behaviour of planktivorous reef fish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
Researchers exposed juvenile reef fish to microplastics at various concentrations and found no significant effects on growth, body condition, or behavior when plastic particles were the same size as their food. However, when particle size was reduced to roughly a quarter of the food size, fish ingested dramatically more plastics, and replacing food with plastic harmed their growth. The findings suggest that as plastics fragment into smaller pieces in the ocean, they become increasingly problematic for planktivorous species.
Plastic intake does not depend on fish eating habits: Identification of microplastics in the stomach contents of fish on an urban beach in Brazil
Researchers analyzed microplastic content in the stomachs of seven fish species from an urban beach in Brazil and found that trophic guild (carnivore, omnivore, herbivore) did not predict microplastic ingestion rates, suggesting that incidental ingestion during feeding is widespread regardless of diet type.