Selection of optimal measures of growth and reproduction for the sublethal Leptocheirus plumulosus sediment bioassay

Abstract

This article describes the selection process used to identify optimal measures of growth and reproduction for the proposed 28‐d sublethal sediment bioassay with the estuarine amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus. We used four criteria (relevance of each measure to its respective endpoint, signal‐to‐noise ratio, redundancy relative to other measures of the same endpoint, and cost [i.e., of labor, training, and equipment]) to evaluate nine growth and seven reproductive measures. Optimal endpoint measures were identified as those receiving relatively high scores for all or most criteria. Measures of growth scored similarly on all criteria, except for cost. The cost of the pooled (female plus male) growth measures was substantially lower than the cost of the female and male growth measures because the latter required more labor (by approx. 25 min per replicate). Pooled dry weight was identified as the optimal growth measure over pooled length because the latter required additional labor and nonstandard software and equipment. Embryo and neonate measures of reproduction exhibited wide differences in labor costs but yielded similar scores for other criteria. In contrast, brooding measures of reproduction (females carrying embryos in the brood pouch) scored relatively low on endpoint relevance, signal‐to‐noise ratio, and redundancy criteria. We recommend neonates/survivor as the optimal measure of L. plumulosus reproduction because it exhibited high endpoint relevance and signal‐to‐noise ratios, was redundant to other reproductive measures, and required minimal time.