Assessing chronic toxicity of aluminium, gallium and molybdenum in tropical marine waters using a novel bioassay for larvae of the hermit crab Coenobita variabilis

A novel bioassay is presented that allows for the estimation of the chronic toxicity of contaminants in receiving tropical marine environments. Relevant procedures to identify contaminants of concern and evaluate hazards associated with contamination in these environments have long remained inadequate. The 6-day bioassay is conducted using freshly hatched planktonic larvae of the hermit crab Coenobita variabilis and is targeted at generating environmentally relevant, chronic toxicity data. The developmental endpoint demonstrated consistently high control performance and was validated through the use of copper as a reference toxicant. In addition, the biological effects of aluminium, gallium and molybdenum were assessed. The endpoint expressed high sensitivity to copper (EC10 = 24 µg L−1) and moderate sensitivity to aluminium (EC10 = 312 µg L−1), whereas gallium and molybdenum elicited no obvious effects, even at high concentrations (EC10 > 6000 µg L−1), providing valuable information on the toxicity of these elements in tropical marine waters for derivation of water quality guidelines or testing of compliance limits.