Acute toxicity to peptone concentrations in the polychaete perinereis aibuhitensis under laboratory culture

Abstract

Organic pollution causes eutrophication and dystrophication, which occur when excessive amounts of organic matter enters seawater. Eutrophication can contaminate sediment and harm aquaculture. Polychaeta species have been shown to restore eutrophic sediment. In this study, we used peptone to simulate a eutrophic environment and detect the levels at which eutrophication became toxic to the polychaete Perinereis aibuhitensis. Peptone concentrations were 0, 100, 200, and 500 mg/L. The median lethal concentrations were 950.35 mg/L at 48 h, 340.34 mg/L at 72 h, and 120.22 mg/L at 96 h, which are much higher than those of other aquatic species. Polychaeta species are highly tolerant of eutrophication. During the 15-day long-term experiment, sediment loss on ignition, as well as seawater total organic carbon and total nitrogen all decreased significantly (P<0.05). However, NH4+ concentration increased with time. Perinereis aibuhitensis slowed the increment of NH4+ but could not prevent its increase. Our results indicate that this polychaete is helpful in the recovery of seawater and sediment from eutrophication. © The Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science.