Daphnia magna is a freshwater cladoceran used worldwide as test organism in aquatic toxicity assays. In Mexico there is a test protocol for this species; nevertheless, some aspects of the controlled neonate production, as well as the possible consequences of the reproducers' culture conditions on the response of neonates to the toxic substance, are not completely known. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of temperature and photoperiod on the acute toxicity of CrVI in D. magna neonates, aimed at providing useful information on the Median Lethal Concentration (LC50) to this heavy metal, which is used as reference toxicant in some laboratories. D. magna was cultured at 20 and 25 degrees C, in combination with two photoperiod values: 16:8 and 12:12 (light:dark) during 40 days; the green microalga Ankistrodesmus falcatus (4x10(5) cells ml(-1)) was supplied as food. Once the reproduction began, the neonates were removed and acute toxicity bioassays at 20 and 25 degrees C were performed, by exposing them to hexavalent chromium. We also determined changes in neonates' size at 20 and 25 degrees C. Chromium toxicity increased along with increasing temperatures, and LC50 values were slightly lower for the first and last clutches in the observed period, but these findings are not conclusive because of the large variability recorded. The average LC50's were 0.2076+/-0.0164 mg l(-1) (at 20 degrees C) and 0.1544+/-0.0175 mg l(-1) (at 25 degrees C). The reproducers' culture temperature had no effect on neonates' sensitivity to chromium, in spite of performing the tests at temperatures either lower or higher than those at which the neonates had been obtained. The length of neonates produced during the first two clutches (<1.25 mm) was significantly lower than that measured in neonates of following reproductions (>1.3 mm), and were smaller at 25 degrees C; however, this did not seem to affect their sensitivity to chromium.

Neonates of Daphnia magna are widely used for bioassays in aquatic toxicology. Although this species is considered as a world-wide reference, its low repeatability of the results in the ecotoxicological studies, are due to the differences in maintenance conditions of the brood stock. We studied the combined effects of adult parthenogenetic female density and culture volume on the total fecundity. Extrapolated densities from 5 to 40 adults L y1 , in volumes from 100 to 400 mL were tested.( y1 ) The green microalga Scenedesmus incrassatulus was used as food 1.30E + 06 cells mL . Once the reproduction began, the neonates produced were counted daily and discarded to avoid crowding effects. The experiments were carried out for 40 days. The maximal total offspring per female, i.e., 832 and 755 neonates, were obtained in the extrapolated densities of 5 and 10 ind. L y1 , respectively, using ( ) one adult female per culture vessel in 200 and 100 mL of medium . When the quantity of the culture medium increased, despite a lower female density, the fecundity decreased and also the total offspring per female. For optimal neonate production, the parthenogenetic females should be individually cultured ( ) in small volumes 100 or 200 mL . ᮊ

Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons entering aquatic environments from accidental or normal marine and transportation activities. Toxicologic crude oil analysis is usually performed on the basis of the water-soluble fraction. However, this yields only a partial estimate of the damage caused by these contaminants because a substantial hydrophobic amount can be adsorbed onto suspended solids (biotic and abiotic), which directly affects filter-feeding species and permits bioaccumulation through trophic relationships. This study determined the acute toxic damage sustained after 48 hours caused by seven types of crude oil from Tabasco, Mexico on the cladoceran Daphnia magna. Comparisons were documented based on the responses of D. magna from application of the water-soluble fraction and exposure to entire crude oil samples adsorbed on kaolin clay. Oil-sorbed kaolin was more toxic than the water-soluble fraction in acute exposure. This confirms that tests of the water-soluble fraction tend to underestimate the toxic damage that can be produced in natural environments. Furthermore, chronic toxicity (21 days) was evaluated for crude oil samples adsorbed on kaolin at sublethal concentrations as established from Application Factors (AF) criteria. Results showed that in most cases, it is impossible to predict safe concentrations on the basis of LC(50) values because samples with lower acute toxicity exercised a greater influence on D. magna reproduction and survival when subjected to chronic exposure.

El "tegogolo" Pomacea patula catemacensis es un gasterópodo dulceacuícola comestible, endémico del Lago de Catemaco en Veracruz, México. En los últimos años las poblaciones naturales se han visto diezmadas debido a que su captura se realiza sin control, a lo que se suma el alto grado de deterioro ambiental que presenta el lago, producto del "azolvamiento", así como por la contaminación por plaguicidas y detergentes. El objetivo del presente estudio fue caracterizar histológica y morfológicamente el sistema reproductor de P. patula catemacensis y determinar las etapas de madurez gonádica en condiciones de laboratorio. Se determinó que la maduración depende de la talla y no de la edad de los organismos, y se identificaron cuatro etapas principales en el desarrollo de machos y hembras: Los estadios y sus longitudes promedio (± intervalo de confianza del 95 %) son (1) inmadura o indiferenciada (talla de 0,72 a 7 mm), (2) maduración temprana (18,95 ± 1,96 mm), (3) maduración intermedia (29,29 ± 4,9 mm) y (4) madurez total (35,89 ± 3,92 mm). En este molusco los sexos están separados, la fertilización es interna y el desarrollo es ovíparo. En las hembras la secreción de albúmina y de carbonato de calcio se realiza en la glándula de la albúmina, característica en la que difiere de otras especies como P. paludosa y P. canaliculata, las cuales poseen además glándula de la cápsula. Es posible identificar el grado de madurez de los caracoles utilizando criterios anatómicos visuales, como la glándula de la albúmina, en el caso de la hembra, y el órgano copulador en el macho.

No abstract