Cyst‐based toxicity tests. IX. The potential of Thamnocephalus platyurus as test species in comparison with Streptocephalus proboscideus (crustacea: Branchiopoda: Anostraca)

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Abstract
The potential of the larvae of the freshwater anostracan crustacean Thamnocephalus platyurus has been evaluated as an alternative to those of the related species Streptocephalus proboscideus, used so far as the test organism in the standard Streptoxkit F test. In line with the former cyst‐based toxicity test method, the hatching of dried T. platyurus eggs, the molting of larvae, and the sensitivity of the latter to toxicants were assessed. The acute toxicity of 10 pure chemicals, 4 solid waste leachates, and 5 sediment pore waters to T. platyurus nauplii was determined according to the standard Streptoxkit F test protocol. Hatching success and reliability of T. platyurus cysts proved better than that of S. proboscideus cysts after 20 h incubation in standard conditions; the hatching percentage after 24 h was slightly improved by diluting the Environmental Protection Agency medium to 1:8 with deionized water. The sensitivity of T. platyurus nauplii to pure toxicants and wastes was at least equal to, and in many cases even higher than, that of S. proboscideus larvae. Generally, precision of the toxicity tests with T. platyurus was better than that of the S. proboscideus assay, especially for the pure chemicals tested. Consequently, the standard operational testing protocol of the Streptoxkit F has been slightly modified with replacement of S. proboscideus by T. platyurus as a test species. The Streptoxkit F has consequently been renamed to Thamnotoxkit F for use in cost‐effective routine acute toxicity testing of chemicals and wastes. © by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.