Evaluation of the archiannelid Dinophilus gyrociliatus for use in short-term life-cycle toxicity tests

The use of the archiannelid Dinophilus gyrociliatus O. Schmidt in short-term (7 to 10 d) life-cycle tests with reference toxicants and industrial effluents was evaluated. Culture techniques and test protocols were developed and evaluated. The life history of this archiannelid was also studied and is described. Because this species has a very short life cycle (10 d from juvenile to juvenile at 20°C and 30%+ salinity), reproductive information can be obtained during a short-term test. The results of tests with industrial effluents and reference toxicants indicate that this species is suitable for toxicity testing and appears to be quite sensitive to the industrial effluents tested in this study. The animals are easily cultured and the testing procedure requires very little time for setup and maintenance (1 to 2 h/d). It has been determined that reproductive information can be obtained during a 7-d test that starts with newly emerged juveniles.