Ceratophrys ornata (Anura: Ceratophryidae) tadpoles: new insights in sound emission and its disruption by the insecticide chlorpyrifos

SALGADO COSTA, C.; TRUDEAU, V.L.; RONCO, A.E.; NATALE, G.S.

Hangzhou

Congreso; World Congress of Herpetology; 2016

The emission of underwater sounds in anuran tadpoles has been documented in only two species from Argentina and one from Madagascar. Underwater sound emission by Ceratophrys ornata larvae was a novel finding reporting the first evidence in anuran larvae.The sound has been described as part of an antipredator mechanism that diminishes the frequency of predation between conspecifics. Hence, a variation in sound production could affect predator-prey interactions and population dynamics. Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is used worldwide and is a multipurpose organophosphate anticholinesterase insecticide with the potential to bioconcentrate in aquatic organisms. The aim of the study was to evaluate lethal and sublethal effects of CPF on three developmental stages of C. ornata tadpoles considering a novel variable, the effects on sound. Toxicity tests were performed following standardized methods exposing organisms from 0.01 to 0.9 mg CPF/L, with one larva per chamber and 20 replicates. Audio recordings were analyzed using Adobe Audition 1.5. Tadpoles exposed to CPF had significantly (p