Fluoxetine exposure alters behavior and morphology of Xenopus laevis tadpoles

This study exposed developing Xenopus tadpoles to the common antidepressant fluoxetine (FLU). Behaviorally, stage 46 control (0 nM) tadpoles significantly preferred white over black backgrounds, a potential anti-predation behavior, while tadpoles reared in 0.3 or 300 nM FLU did not display this preference. Anatomically, stage 46 tadpoles reared in 300 nM FLU appeared similar to controls (0 nM) yet measured slightly and significantly larger in six of seven aspects of gross morphology measured (total length, tail length, body length, body height, eye diameter, internasal distance). Consequently, developmental FLU exposure may subtly alter specific aspects of tadpole morphology and behavior.