Medetomidine as a candidate antifoulant: Sublethal effects on juvenile turbot ( Psetta maxima L.)

• Published in: Aquatic toxicology Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 238 - 246
• Main Authors: Hilvarsson, Annelie, Halldórsson, Halldór Pálmar, Granmo, Åke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 20-07-2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: adaptation; Adaptation, Physiological - drug effects; Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Adrenergic alpha-Agonists - toxicity; AGENT; AGGREGATION; Agnatha. Pisces; AGONIST; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Antifouling; antifouling agents; Applied ecology; Atlantic Ocean; Biological and medical sciences; breathing; color; DOGS; Ecology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Ekologi; FISH; Flatfishes - metabolism; Flatfishes - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GADUS-MORHUA L; General aspects; Iceland; juveniles; LARVAE; marine fish; Medetomidine; Medetomidine - toxicity; MELANOPHORES; Melanophores - metabolism; new products; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; NORTH-SEA; oxygen consumption; Oxygen Consumption - drug effects; Psetta maxima; Respiration - drug effects; Scophthalmus maximus; skin; Skin - drug effects; Statistics, Nonparametric; Sublethal effects; toxicity; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Atlantic Ocean; Iceland; Medetomidine; Sublethal effects; Antifouling; Psetta maxima; Aquatic environment; Vertebrata; Ecotoxicology; Pisces; Antifouling protection; Antifouling paint; Young animal
• ISSN: 0166-445X; 1879-1514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2007.04.008

Medetomidine is proposed as a candidate antifouling compound proven effective against barnacles. It is routinely used as a sedative in veterinary medicine. It is therefore important to also investigate possible adverse effects on non-target organisms. Thus, sublethal effects on two different ages of juvenile turbot (
Psetta maxima) exposed to a wide concentration range of medetomidine (0.063–420
nM) were assessed after exposure under semistatic as well as flow-through conditions, for a maximum of 96
h. Effects on respiration frequency and amount of oxygen consumed were assessed, as well as the ability of turbot to adapt to a dark background. A significant decrease was seen both in respiration frequency with a lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) of 2.1
nM as well as in amount of oxygen consumed (LOEC
=
420
nM) and colour adaptation (LOEC
=
4.2
nM). Colour adaptation was also evaluated in a short exposure experiment, 1
h, where significant effects were observed (LOEC
=
2.1
nM). Reversibility, when fish were incubated in clean seawater following exposure, was seen for all observed effects. Ecological relevance of the observed effects is discussed.