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HudinaThe effects of psyhoactive substance mixture on behaviour and physiology of invasive signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana, 1852)

It is known that the presence of psychoactive substances, such as antidepressants and drugs is relatively constant in freshwater ecosystems of urbanized areas. Recent studies have demonstrated their bioaccumulation in the tissues of aquatic organisms and effects on their behaviour and physiology in environmentally relevant concentrations. However, their potential interactive effect, especially on invertebrates, is not sufficiently explored. This study aims to assess whether the mixture of two antidepressants and an illicit drug commonly found in the Sava River influences the behaviour and neurophysiology of the most successful crayfish invader in Europe - the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus). Within a weeklong trial, we exposed crayfish to environmental concentrations of citalopram, nortriptyline and amphetamine dissolved in ambient water. We measured behavioural and physiological endpoints: i) the effects of 24h and 7 day exposure on dynamics of antagonistic interactions between size-matched pairs of exposed and non-exposed (control) crayfish, ii) the effects on serotonin levels, iii) the effects on glucose levels in haemolymph and iv) biomarkers of oxidative stress. We did not observe any statistically significant difference in the crayfish behaviour except that exposed individuals in average took slightly longer time to engage in fights. We observed a significant increase of lipid peroxidation in exposed individuals, suggesting potentially an adverse synergistic impact of examined pharmaceuticals on crayfish, in environmentally relevant concentrations.

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