EFFECT OF AN INSECT JUVENILE HORMONE ANALOGUE FENOXYCARB ON DEVELOPMENT AND OXYGEN UPTAKE IN THE LARVAL LOBSTER, HOMARUS GAMMARUS (L.)

• Main Author: Arnold, Katie Elizabeth
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University of Plymouth 2006
• Subjects: Cornwall; European lobster; Homarus gammarus
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10026.2/626

The specific mode of action of juvenile hormone analogues on insects can also affect developmental processes in larval crustaceans. Impacts of the JHA, fenoxycarb on physiological and developmental processes were observed in the European lobster, Homarus gammarus at what are believed to be the most sensitive stages of development. Continuous exposure to a sublethal concentration of fenoxycarb (50 |j,g 1' ') through complete larval development displayed significant reductions in growth rate (3.10±0.02 mm), compared to controls (3.67±0.04 mm) (p<0.05). Incompletion of metamorphosis was observed in fenoxycarb-exposed larvae, with significantly prolonged intermoult durations (/7<0.05) and a total inhibition in moult to the third larval stage. Significantly increased rates of O2 uptake were observed fi-om fenoxycarbexposed larvae compared with control larvae during both day 7 and day 12 of the study. Low exposure concentrations of fenoxycarb used in this study caused endocrine disrupting responses in Homarus gammarus, this may have substantial ecological and commercial implications. Keywords: Homarus gammarus; Insect juvenile hormone analogue; Fenoxycarb; Larval development; Oxygen consumption Faculty of Science, The National Lobster Hatchery, Padstow, Cornwall, UK