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Humic Acid Interferes with Species Recognition in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

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Abstract

Few studies have addressed how chemosensation may be impaired by chemical alterations of the environment and anthropogenic disturbance. Humic acid (HA) is a pervasive, naturally occurring organic derivative found in aquatic and terrestrial environments; human activity, however, can lead to elevated levels of HA. Recent studies suggest that environments that contain high levels of HA may hinder chemical communication. We tested the ability of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific urinary chemical cues found in the presence and absence of HA. We show that high humic acid levels (200 mg/l) can impair the ability to differentiate conspecifics from heterospecifics. We also found that zebrafish prefer untreated water over HA-treated water. These findings suggest that, in addition to human-produced synthetic compounds, changes in the abundance of naturally occurring substances may also negatively impact natural behaviors in aquatic species by disturbing the sensory environment.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Jelle Atema, Carley Schacter, and Michelle Gaona for the discussion and advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington St., Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Niora J. Fabian, Lindsey B. Albright & Heidi S. Fisher

  2. Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA

    Gabriele Gerlach

  3. Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Gil G. Rosenthal

Authors
  1. Niora J. Fabian
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  2. Lindsey B. Albright
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  3. Gabriele Gerlach
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  4. Heidi S. Fisher
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  5. Gil G. Rosenthal
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Correspondence to Niora J. Fabian.

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Fabian, N.J., Albright, L.B., Gerlach, G. et al. Humic Acid Interferes with Species Recognition in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Chem Ecol 33, 2090–2096 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9377-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9377-z

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