Effect of 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate on embryonic development in chameleon goby, Tridentiger trigonocephalus

2-Ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) is one of the most common ultra violet (UV) filters used in personal care products. Despite its widespread presence, there remains a significant gap in understanding its ecological impact, particularly on marine fish species. In this study, we evaluated the toxic effects of EHMC on embryonic development of the chameleon goby (Tridentiger trigonocephalus). Fertilized eggs were incubated and exposed to EHMC (5, 50 and 500 μg/L) in vitro for 144 hours. We assessed morphological changes, yolk sac volume, heartbeat rate, hatching rate and survival rate until hatching. At 48 hours post expo-sure (HPE), the first tail malformation was observed at 500 μg/L; it was also observed in all treatments at 60 HPE. In addition, the occurrence of blood congestion and spinal curvature increased EHMC dose dependently. At 72 HPE, the heartbeat rate decreased significantly in all treatments compared to controls. The yolk sac absorption exhibited significant delays in all treatments. The survival rate decreased in a dose-dependent manner with a significant difference at 500 μg/L of EHMC. The hatching rate also decreased in a dose-dependent manner, with a significant difference at 500 μg/L of EHMC. The notochord length of hatched larvae decreased significantly in all treatments. Taken together, our findings suggest that even low concentrations of EHMC could interfere with marine fish embryonic development.