INFLUENCE OF METALS ON SURVIVAL AND LIFE ACTIVITY OF STARFISHES ASTERIAS RUBENS

The effect of metals chlorides (cobalt, manganese, iron, lead, cadmium and copper) at wide range of concentrations on various aspects of the life of starfishes Asterias rubens has been studied. The experiments included a survival and behavioral responses (righting time) evaluation of starfishes during the seven-day exposure. Copper is the most toxic of the studied metals (half-lethal concentration LC50 = 0,062±0,01 mg/L, 96 hours of exposure), then toxicity decrease in the following order: lead (LC50 = 1,99±0,08 mg/L), cadmium (LC50 = 1,6±0,1 mg/L), cobalt (LC50 = 57,7±2,1 mg/L), manganese (LC50= 79,7±4,3 mg/L). Iron at studied concentrations did not influence the starfish’s survival. Copper, lead and cadmium led to a significant increase of the righting time after 96 hours of exposure. The toxic effects of these metals, except for copper, were revealed at higher concentration then Russian norms for surface waters.

Asterias rubens, metals, toxicity, survival