The interactive effects of microcystin and nitrite on life-history parameters of the cladoceran Daphnia obtusa

Elevated nitrite and microcystin concentrations co-occur during degradation of Microcystis blooms and are toxic to aquatic organisms. We studied the relative and combined effects of these on Daphnia obtusa life-history. Nitrite and microcystin-LR treatments were: 0, 1, 3 mg L−1 and 0, 10, 100, 300 μg L−1, respectively. Experiments were factorial with 12 treatment combinations. Incubations were 15 d and recorded: moult number; time to first batch of eggs; time to first clutch; size at first batch of eggs; size at first clutch; number of clutches per female; number of offspring per clutch; total offspring per female. Interactive effects of the toxins occurred for time to first batch of eggs and time to first clutch. The remaining traits were negatively affected by nitrite: a significant decrease occurred in number of offspring per clutch and total number of offspring per mother (both decreased by ∼50%); total clutches per mother; number of moults; mother size at first clutch; and first appearance of eggs (primarily at the highest nitrite concentration). We support the literature, recognising nitrite is toxic, and although Microcystis is toxic to zooplankton, the main threat is not from dissolved microcystin but from degradative products such as nitrite.