Abstract

Copper sulfate is commonly used in marine life support systems (aquaria) for treatment of ectoparasites in fishes. Marine invertebrates are known to be sensitive to copper but the number of quantitative studies defining copper toxicity in specific taxa are limited. In this controlled study utilizing a common species of echinoderm, the purple sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata), we determined that there is dose-related mortality in purple sea urchins when exposed to therapeutic levels of copper sulfate (0.10-0.20 mg/L) in the water and that sea urchins, and possibly all echinoderms, should not be exposed to any level of copper sulfate immersion.

Keywords: Copper sulfate, toxicity, echinoderm, Arbacia punctulata, sea urchin