THE POLYCHAETE PLATYNEREIS-DUMERILII (AUDOUIN AND MILNE-EDWARDS) - A NEW SPECIES FOR ASSESSING THE HAZARDOUS POTENTIAL OF CHEMICALS IN THE MARINE-ENVIRONMENT

The polychaete Platynereis dumerilii (Polychaeta: Nereidae) has been e valuated as a candidate bioassay species for marine ecotoxicity testin g. The species conforms with many of the requirements of an ideal bioa ssay organism in that (i) it is amenable to laboratory culture, (ii) i ts relatively small size makes it convenient for handling and laborato ry exposure studies, (iii) its diet is defined and can be controlled, (iv) it reproduces throughout the year and, using photoperiod manipula tion, can be induced to spawn as required, and (v) it has a short life cycle (approximately 3 months at 20 degrees C) making it feasible to study the effects of xenobiotics on chronic endpoints such as reproduc tion. The components of the life history which have been examined to d ate include fertilization rate, embryo-larval development, and larval survival. These life stages were evaluated using the reference materia ls used in the 1991 International Paris Commission (PARCOM) Ring Test (namely, the biocides, Bioban P-1487 and Vantocil IB, and the widely u sed reference toxicant, 3,5-dichlorophenol). For fertilization rate, t he median effect concentrations (1-h EC(50) values) were 0.32 mg . lit er(-1) for Bioban P-1487, 1.99 mg . liter(-1) for 3,5-dichlorophenol, and 9.66 mg . liter(-1) for Vantocil IB. For embryo-larval development , the median effect concentrations (48-h EC(50) values) were 0.29 mg . liter(-1) for Bioban P-1487, 2.13 mg . liter(-1) for 3,5-dichlorophen ol, and 4.81 mg . liter(-1) for Vantocil IB. For larval survival, the median lethal concentrations (48-h LC(50) values) were 0.32 mg . liter (-1) for Bioban P-1487, 3.64 mg . liter(-1) for 3,5-dichlorophenol, an d 10.9 mg . liter(-1) for Vantocil IB. These results (all based on nom inal values) suggest that, for these reference materials, the early li fe stages of P. dumerilii are of similar sensitivity to other marine i nvertebrate species. Together with the amenability of this species to laboratory culture, these data suggest that P. dumerilii has significa nt potential for use in marine ecotoxicity testing. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.