Behavioral Toxicity of Cd-Treated Oryzias Latipes Using Computer-Automated Video Tracking System

자동영상추적장치를 이용한 카드뮴 처리 Oryzias latipes의 행위독성연구

Changes in certain fish behaviors are known to be very sensitive indicators of sublethal exposure to environmental contaminants. Therefore, behavioral toxicity tests, if properly designed, can be very useful to assess the influence of hazardous chemicals on fish. However, quantitative analysis of xenobiotic-mediated changes in locomotor behavior in fishes are rare, due mainly to the methodological difficulties. In general, fish movement has been known to be hypertrophic or hypotrophic according to the chemicals. As a study of fish behavioral toxicities, we qualified the swimming movement of Oryzias latipes using computer-automated video tracking system. Oryzias latipes was exposed to cadmium of 128 mg/L for 1 hour in a limited aquaria, then the total swimming distance, the average swimming velocity, the histogram of turning angles, and the turning frequency were analyzed. Fish treated with cadmium showed decreased swimming activities, decreased velocity, and decreased turning frequency, which means hypotrophic activity. From these results, the computer-automated video tracking system of this study seems to be a good tool for the evaluation of the potential ecotoxicological studies.