The widespread use of pharmaceutics raises an anthropogenic issue in natural environment. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) used as antidepressants, pass through most wastewater treatment plants and enter natural waters. Their impact on personality of aquatic animals is poorly investigated, especially in invertebrates. In the current study, the impact of fluoxetine (an SSRI) on animal personality was investigated in the freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus. To investigate responses, isopods were exposed for 1 day to fluoxetine of 10 ng L-1. Boldness, exploration, activity and escape behaviour (running and freezing) were tested on male and female isopods of two phenotypes of pigmentation (dark and light). The isopods showed consistency of behaviour responses in assays; one of the prerequisites for the existence of personality traits. Fluoxetine exposure reduced activity level, but had no effect on the other personality traits measured. This study thus provides some support for the idea that an environmentally relevant concentration of fluoxetine affects personality in A. aquaticus.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:liu-148696 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Kitano, Shiori |
| Publisher | Linköpings universitet, Biologi |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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