Effects of naphthalene and phenanthrene on visual and prey capture endpoints during early stages of the dourado Salminus Brasiliensis

Naphthalene (NAP) and phenanthrene (PHE) effects on Salminus brasiliensis, a carnivorous freshwater fish, were investigated using behavioral tests. Larval stages of S. brasiliensis were exposed to water concentrations of 0, 0.04 mg/l, 0.20 mg/l and 0.50 mg/l for naphthalene and 0, 0.01 mg/l, 0.05 mg/l and 0.1 mg/l for phenanthrene during two developmental phases. The prey fish Prochilodus lineatus were not exposed. Visual acuity was measured at the end of phase 2 in individual S. brasiliensis, which were also tested at the end of each phase for number of attacks on prey, number of prey captured, prey capture efficiency, and distance swam. Vision was impaired by PHE exposure, as acuity angles increased in exposed fish. At Stage I 2.3 ± 1.2 prey were captured with 46% efficiency in controls compared to 0.4 ± 0.3 prey captured with 13.4% efficiency in fish exposed to 0.05 mg PHE l −1, the LOEL for both endpoints. At Stage II 4.0 ± 1.1 preys were captured in controls compared to 2.5 ± 0.9 preys captured in fish exposed to 0.01 mg PHE l −1, the LOEL. Stage II control fish captured prey with 70% efficiency compared to 30% efficiency at Stage II fish exposed to 0.05 mg PHE l −1, the LOEL. Distance swam was not affected by either NAP or PHE exposure. The exposure of larval stages of S. brasiliensis to realistic water concentrations of PHE impairs foraging skills and could affect recruitment of the species.