Acute effects of triclosan, diclofenac and carbamazepine on feeding performance of Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes).

The toxicity of three pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs)--carbamazepine (CBMZ), diclofenac (DCF), and triclosan (TCS)--was examined by measuring their effects on feeding behavior and swimming speed of adult Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). Medaka were exposed to 6.15 mg L(-1) CBMZ, 1.0 mg L(-1) DCF, 0.17 mg L(-1) TCS, or no PPCP (control) for 9 d. Fish behaviors were monitored during days 5-9 of the exposure period. Feeding behavior (time to eat midge larvae, TE) and swimming speed (SS) of individual exposed and control fish were tracked in two dimensions, using an automated system with a digital charge-coupled device camera. As a result, feeding behavior was affected by exposure to CBMZ and DCF, while SS was altered by exposure to CBMZ and TCS. Thus, TCS, DCF and CBMZ appear to affect fish behaviors through different mechanisms. Overall, the results suggest that behavioral changes may provide a sensitive indicator for assessing the toxicity of PPCPs to aquatic organisms.