Lethal concentration and nephrotoxic effects of mucus of sea anemone, Stichodactyla sp., on the zebra fish, Danio rerio

The lethal concentration and nephrotoxic effects of sea anemone, Stichodactyla sp., mucus on zebra fish, Danio rerio were examined. Sea carpet was collected from an intertidal zone of the Hormoz Island, frozen in nitrogen tank (-160°C), and transported to the laboratory to have its mucus isolated. The lethal concentration (LC5096h) of mucus for the fish, determined as 175.03 mg/L. Three concentrations of mucus (250, 500, 1000 mg/L) were made and added to the fish aquaria. Then, the histological changes of the fish kidney were examined. In 1000 mg/L, the fish was killed in less than 2h and pathologic lesions of the kidney were evident, including congestion, enlargement and necrosis of the glomerulus, reduction of Bowman’s space, fluids inside tubular and glomerular capillaries inflation in interstitial space, but in 500 and 250 mg/L, no death were observed and a slight increase in glomerular volume was observed. Results showed that mucus of the sea anemone could be harmful and even lethal to the zebra fish by damaging its kidney, the severity of which depended on its concentration.