TY - JOUR
T1 - Field-realistic exposure to the androgenic endocrine disruptor 17β-trenbolone alters ecologically important behaviours in female fish across multiple contexts
AU - G Bertram, Michael
AU - Saaristo, Minna
AU - M Martin, Jake
AU - E Ecker, Tiarne
AU - Michelangeli, Marcus
AU - P Johnstone, Christopher
AU - B M Wong, Bob
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - The capacity of pharmaceutical pollution to alter behaviour in wildlife is of increasing environmental concern. A major pathway of these pollutants into the environment is the treatment of livestock with hormonal growth promotants (HGPs), which are highly potent veterinary pharmaceuticals that enter aquatic ecosystems via effluent runoff. Hormonal growth promotants are designed to exert biological effects at low doses, can act on physiological pathways that are evolutionarily conserved across taxa, and have been detected in ecosystems worldwide. However, despite being shown to alter key fitness-related processes (e.g., development, reproduction) in various non-target species, relatively little is known about the potential for HGPs to alter ecologically important behaviours, especially across multiple contexts. Here, we investigated the effects of exposure to a field-realistic level of the androgenic HGP metabolite 17 beta-trenbolone-an endocrine-disrupting chemical that has repeatedly been detected in freshwater systems on a suite of ecologically important behaviours in wild-caught female eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). First, we found that 17 beta-trenbolone-exposed fish were more active and exploratory in a novel environment (i.e., maze arena), while boldness (i.e., refuge use) was not significantly affected. Second, when tested for sociability, exposed fish spent less time in close proximity to a shoal of stimulus (i.e., unexposed) conspecific females and were, again, found to be more active. Third, when assayed for foraging behaviour, exposed fish were faster to reach a foraging zone containing prey items (chironomid larvae), quicker to commence feeding, spent more time foraging, and consumed a greater number of prey items, although the effect of exposure on certain foraging behaviours was dependent on fish size. Taken together, these findings highlight the potential for exposure to sub-lethal levels of veterinary pharmaceuticals to alter sensitive behavioural processes in wildlife across multiple contexts, with potential ecological and evolutionary implications for exposed populations. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
AB - The capacity of pharmaceutical pollution to alter behaviour in wildlife is of increasing environmental concern. A major pathway of these pollutants into the environment is the treatment of livestock with hormonal growth promotants (HGPs), which are highly potent veterinary pharmaceuticals that enter aquatic ecosystems via effluent runoff. Hormonal growth promotants are designed to exert biological effects at low doses, can act on physiological pathways that are evolutionarily conserved across taxa, and have been detected in ecosystems worldwide. However, despite being shown to alter key fitness-related processes (e.g., development, reproduction) in various non-target species, relatively little is known about the potential for HGPs to alter ecologically important behaviours, especially across multiple contexts. Here, we investigated the effects of exposure to a field-realistic level of the androgenic HGP metabolite 17 beta-trenbolone-an endocrine-disrupting chemical that has repeatedly been detected in freshwater systems on a suite of ecologically important behaviours in wild-caught female eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). First, we found that 17 beta-trenbolone-exposed fish were more active and exploratory in a novel environment (i.e., maze arena), while boldness (i.e., refuge use) was not significantly affected. Second, when tested for sociability, exposed fish spent less time in close proximity to a shoal of stimulus (i.e., unexposed) conspecific females and were, again, found to be more active. Third, when assayed for foraging behaviour, exposed fish were faster to reach a foraging zone containing prey items (chironomid larvae), quicker to commence feeding, spent more time foraging, and consumed a greater number of prey items, although the effect of exposure on certain foraging behaviours was dependent on fish size. Taken together, these findings highlight the potential for exposure to sub-lethal levels of veterinary pharmaceuticals to alter sensitive behavioural processes in wildlife across multiple contexts, with potential ecological and evolutionary implications for exposed populations. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KW - Pharmaceutical pollution
KW - androgen
KW - Endocrine disrupting chemical
KW - Effects
KW - Behavioural ecotoxicology
KW - trenbolone
KW - Pharmaceutical pollution
KW - androgen
KW - Endocrine disrupting chemical
KW - Effects
KW - Behavioural ecotoxicology
KW - trenbolone
KW - Pharmaceutical pollution
KW - androgen
KW - Endocrine disrupting chemical
KW - Effects
KW - Behavioural ecotoxicology
KW - trenbolone
U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.044
DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.044
M3 - Artikel
SN - 0269-7491
VL - 243
SP - 900
EP - 911
JO - Environmental Pollution
JF - Environmental Pollution
ER -