Preprint volume - SIBM

Pre-print Volume - Posters
VARIOUS TOPICS
G. UNGHERESE, V. PASQUALI 1 , D. BARONI 2 , A. UGOLINI
Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Università di Firenze, Via Romana, 17 - 50125 Firenze, Italia.
alberto.ugolini@unifi.it
1 Dip. di Psicologia, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Italia.
2 Dip. di Scienze Ambientali, Università di Siena, Italia.
EFFECT OF SAND CONTAMINATION
ON LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY OF TALITRUS SALTATOR (MONTAGU)
EFFETTO DELLA CONTAMINAZIONEDELLA SABBIA
SULL’ATTIVITÀ LOCOMOTORIA DI TALITRUS SALTATOR (MONTAGU)
Abstract – The aim of this study was to assess the influence of sand contamination with Cu on locomotor
activity of Talitrus saltator, a well-known biomonitor of trace metals of sandy beaches. Results show that the
effect of Cu contamination on locomotor activity of sandhoppers varies according to the exposure
concentration. Moreover, the analysis of Cu concentration reveals that sandhoppers accumulate Cu from
sand in a dose - dependent way.
Key-words: Amphipods, trace metals, behavioural biomarkers, locomotor activity.
Introduction - Changes in animal behaviour induced by the exposure to contaminants
have been used as biomarkers fairy recently despite their ecological relevance
(Amiard-Triquet, 2009). The control of the spatio-temporal aspects of various activities
is essential in many animal species and is associated with complex physiological and
behavioural mechanisms. The sandhopper Talitrus saltator, a well-known biomonitor
of trace metals contamination sandy shores (e.g. Ugolini et al., 2004), is a good
biological model for the study of the effect of pollutants on locomotor activity. In fact,
the activity rhythm of sandhoppers has been extensively studied and presents a
circadian (nocturnal) periodicity influenced by the photoperiod (Williams, 1980). In
this study we evaluate the effect of exposure to Cu contaminated sand on the locomotor
activity of T.saltator.
Materials and methods – Adults individuals of T.saltator were collected on the beach
of Fiume Morto Vecchio (Pisa, Italy) in summer 2008. In laboratory groups of 15
adults sandhoppers were kept for 7 days, in artificial moist sand, contaminated with
different concentrations of Cu (10 and 20 ppm) and control (uncontaminated sand).
Experiments were carried out in a thermostatically controlled room (20°±1) with a
light: dark (L:D) cycle 12:12. The locomotor activity was recorded by a microwave
radar (Guardall MX950, 24 Ghz) connected to a computer provided with appropriate
software and already employed to monitor activity rhythm in T.saltator (Ugolini et al.,
2007). The comparison between the locomotor activity recorded, for each
concentration tested, during the hours of darkness and light was made using the Signtest.
The content of Cu in sandhoppers at the end of the trials was measured by ICP-
OES (see Ugolini et al., 2004).
Results - Sandhoppers tested in the presence of 10 ppm Cu exhibited an increase in
activity (23631 bounds) than the control (14266 bounds) (Fig. 1). In contrast,
amphipods exposed to 20 ppm of Cu showed a noticeable reduction of total locomotor
activity (506 bounds) and, furthermore, respect to controls and animals exposed to 10
41 st S.I.B.M. CONGRESS Rapallo (GE), 7-11 June 2010
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