<strong><em>Branchiura sowerbyi</em> Beddard, 1892 (Oligochaeta: Naididae) as a test species in ecotoxicology bioassays: a review</strong>

Abstract

Branchiura sowerbyi (Oligochaeta; Naididae; Rhyacodrilinae) is an oligochaete with great potential to be used as a testspecies in toxicology bioassays. Since 1950, its life cycle has been studied and nowadays it is well described in the literature. B. sowerbyi has a cosmopolitan distribution and can be found in places where Tubifex tubifex (normally used in toxicity bioassays) does not occur, especially in tropical regions. Due to its high individual biomass, B. sowerbyi is suitable for use in bioaccumulation bioassays. The present study reviews papers that have used this species in toxicology bioassays and were published between 1950 and the first semester of 2012. In the first part, a brief overview is provided of the biology and the life-cycle parameters of B. sowerbyi. In the second part, the bioassays are presented and discussed, and in the third and last part, conclusions about research to date and perspectives about future studies are presented. Throughout the investigation, it was possible to find a total of 30 papers that tested approximately 65 different substances (insecticides, metals, industrial chemicals and others). The majority of the bioassays run are 96-h acute water-only tests, only five were chronic bioassays and two involved bioaccumulation. The lack of research and the small number of tested substances in comparison with the standardized T. tubifex species (i.e. approximately 9 and 44 tested metals for B. sowerbyi and T. tubifex, respectively) can be explained by the absence of a bioassay protocol for B. sowerbyi, causing researchers to choose other species. It is necessary to undertake more methodological research in order to find a better and common methodology for bioassays.

Macroinvertebrate Community Responses to Multiple Pressures in a Peri-Urban Mediterranean River

“…Moreover, Oligochaeta and Asellidae could be found in highly degraded systems, such as rivers with a high level of organic pollution or with low oxygen [63,64]. The non-native species B. sowerbyi, a thermophilous tropical species tolerant to several toxins, is favored when the substrate has important quantities of sludge from effluents [65], which is exactly the case of Laspias. Moreover, this species is characterized by high distributional spreading and breeding rates, which could cause various instabilities in freshwater ecosystems, such as habitat degradation [66].…”

Branchiura sowerbyi Reared in Two Sediments for Ecotoxicological Bioassays

“…With the goal of increasing the use of artificial sediments for toxicity bioassays in tropical regions, we sought to compare rates of survival, growth, and reproduction of the oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, kept in natural sediment (NS) and in artificial tropical sediment (ATS), using coconut fiber powder as a substitute for peat. This species was chosen because it is a tropical species that can be cultured along a range of sediment types (Aston & Milner, 1981;Casellato et al, 1992;Marchese & Brinkhurst, 1996;Ducrot et al, 2007;Nascimento & Alves, 2008;Lobo & Alves, 2011), and has been used as test species in ecotoxicological bioassays (Lobo & Espíndola, 2014).…”

Acute toxicity and impact of sublethal exposure to commonly used surfactants sodium dodecyl sulphate, cetylpyridinium chloride and sodium laureth sulphate on oxidative stress enzymes in oligochaete worm Branchiura sowerbyi (Beddard, 1892)

“…Branchiura sowerbyi predominates several other bottom macroinvertebrates in terms of richness and diversity and is an essential part of some fish and crustaceans' diet (Dhara et al, 2015). Moreover, it is also used as a potential bioindicator of aquatic pollution (Lobo & Espindola, 2014).…”