Comparative study of brine shrimp bioassay-based toxic activities of three harmful microalgal species that frequently blooming in aquaculture ponds

Typical harmful micro-algal species constantly occurred in high density in marine aquaculture ponds in Xiangshan and Sanmen Bay, Zhejiang Province. Fates of the microalgal cells influenced by activity of the cultured animals largely determined the ef fects of the harmful microalgae. However, it is difficult to detect the in situ process. In this paper, toxic activities of three harmful microalga, namely P rymnesium parvum, Pleurochrysis elongata, Karlodinium veneficum, which were isolated from the local ponds, were comparatively studied based on brine shrimp toxic bioassays. Diff erent lethal activities of live cells, cell debris, cellular extracts, and cell free mediums prepared by different process were analyzed. The results showed that,(1) all of the three microalgal species had density and time dependent lethal ef fects on A rtermia nauplii, while P. parvum was the most toxic one and had acute lethal eff ects in 5 h. No such acute lethal eff ects were observed in P. elongata or K. veneficum;(2) live cells, cell debris and cellular extracts of P. parvum had the same lethal pattern. Prymnesins, toxin from P. parvum, is probably not exotoxic active; For P. elongata, toxic activity mainly came from live cells and cell debris; For K. veneficum, toxic activity was relatively lower compared with the other two species. However, Karlotoxin, toxin from K. veneficum, is exotoxic active. Physical disturbance triggered K. veneficum cells actively releasing toxins, which made it an active predator.