Implications for toxicity tests with amphipod Gammarus aequicauda: effects of temperature and salinity on life cycle

This study explored the effect of temperature and salinity on the life cycle of Gammarus aequicauda in order to establish temperature and salinity ranges advantageous for chronic toxicity testing. A broad range of salinity-temperature conditions (salinities of 10, 20 and 36 per thousand, and temperatures of 10, 18 and 24 degrees C combined in nine different treatments) significantly influenced various reproductive aspects of G. aequicauda reared in the laboratory, from newly released juveniles to first brood production by mature adults. There was a significant linear regression between the brood size and the body size of the female. The number of juveniles released per female was highest at 10 degrees C and lowest at 24 degrees C. The temperature and salinity variations had a significant effect on the fecundity of G. aequicauda. A high temperature led to a faster individual growth and a quicker sexual development than a lower temperature. A temperature acceptable for chronic toxicity tests can be 18 degrees C, at which an acceleration of the life cycle without a lowering of the amphipod's performance was observed. Regarding salinity, results from this study showed that salinities down to 36 per thousand may also be used in sediment toxicity tests with G. aequicauda, so providing a proper and gradual acclimation.