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Modified Japanese Medaka Embryo-Larval Bioassay for Rapid Determination of Developmental Abnormalities

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Abstract

The Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) early-life-stage bioassay (18-day test) provides a suitable laboratory model for the evaluation of toxicant impact. The naturally high variability in the time to hatch for medaka embryos is, however, a major limitation in terms of the duration of the test. In this study, the 18-day test was modified to use agitation to synchronize hatch and reduce time to hatch for nonexposed embryos. Then, bioassays were conducted using two different complex mixtures (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and naphthenic acids (NAs)) to compare the sensitivity of the measurement endpoints using the 18-day standard protocol (SP) and the modified protocol (MP). Agitation reduced time to hatch by one third or more and improved hatch success (100%). The MP proved to be a more sensitive test method for the sublethal evaluation of a stressor (PAH mixture) that caused reduced hatch length and induced signs of blue sac disease (BSD) including heart deformities, yolk sac–pericardial edema, and cranial–skeletal deformities. In contrast, there was some variability in the sensitivity of the test methods for developmental endpoints for the sublethal evaluation of a stressor (NA mixture) that had no effect on hatch length and was a weak inducer of signs of BSD. Even though the sensitivity of the measurement endpoints were slightly more or less sensitive for the MP vs. SP depending on the mixture tested, the MP using agitation is recommended as a cost-effective and rapid alternative for screening the sublethal impact of toxicants on the early-life stages of fish.

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Acknowledgments

Funding was provided by the Canadian Water Network (CWN) and by an NSERC Discovery Grant to DGD. Special thanks to Spencer Rhodes, for the preparation of the PAH mixture, and Mark Lampi, for the determination of light intensities. We also thank the many students who assisted with the maintenance of the medaka culture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1

    Andrea Farwell, Vincent Nero, Melanie Croft, Prabjot Bal & D. George Dixon

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  1. Andrea Farwell
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  2. Vincent Nero
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  3. Melanie Croft
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  4. Prabjot Bal
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  5. D. George Dixon
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Correspondence to Andrea Farwell.

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Farwell, A., Nero, V., Croft, M. et al. Modified Japanese Medaka Embryo-Larval Bioassay for Rapid Determination of Developmental Abnormalities. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 51, 600–607 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-0319-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-0319-x

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