Does color play a predominant role in the intake of microplastic fragments by freshwater fish? An experimental approach with Psalidodon eigenmanniorum

JUAN MANUEL RÍOS; GIANCARLO TESITORE; FRANCO TEIXEIRA DE MELLO

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: HEIDELBERG (Germany); Año: 2022 vol. 30

0944-1344

Microplastics (MPs) have been reported in fish species from several freshwater environments. However, the mechanisms underlying microplastic ingestion by fish are still unclear, although they are important to determine the pathway of MPs along freshwater environments food webs. Here, we investigates a fundamental question of why wild freshwater fish ingest plastic. To address this, we conducted a laboratory experiment to assess MP fragments intake according to color (red, green, yellow, white, black, and blue) by a small omnivorous fish species Psalidodon eigenmanniorum (Characidae). Results showed that yellow and blue were the most consumed fragments, whereas fish avoided white fragments. Although it is not yet clear how plastic coloration relates to the selectivity and feeding of freshwater fish, the visual skills at a species-specific level could plausibly explain why certain colors are attractive or deterrent to a particular fish species. This data set can be used as a screening tool that could help to understand the mechanisms underlying the patterns of plastic ingestion by fish, with special emphasis on the color of plastic particles. Future research on mechanisms MPs intake by fish, also providing a multi-species approach is highly recommended.