Comparative toxicity of crude oil derivatives-hydroquinone, resorcinol and catechol to gametes and embryos of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla L.

• Main Author: Biyo, Josette Talamera
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1989
• Subjects: Sea urchins > Effect of surface active agents on; Sea urchins > Effect of chemicals on
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1230
• Institution: De La Salle University

The toxicity of the monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - hydroquinone, resorcinol and catechol - to gametes and embryo-larvae of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla L. was investigated. The treatment of gametes with the toxicants for three minutes prior to fusion caused a significant dose-dependent inhibition of fertilization, cleavage, hatching of the blastula, gastrula and pluteal development. Marked dose-related cytolysis was noted accompanied by bleb-formation and cytoplasmic disintegration. The toxicants also caused significant gross morphological damage characterized by exogastrula formation and skeletal malformation in the said sea urchin embryo-larvae. These observations indicate that the responses of the early developmental stages of this sea urchin species to the toxicants were stage-specific i.e. the pluteus being most affected while fertilization was least affected. The toxicity of the test chemicals to T. gratilla gametes and embryo-larvae decreased in the order: catechol hydroquinone resorcinol. Sensitivity to gamete pretreatment is in the order: pretreated sperms + pretreated eggs pretreated sperms + untreated eggs untreated sperms + pretreated eggs.