Faxonius(f.k.a. Orconectes) virilis and the effects of DEET on righting time as a proxy for neural ability

Abstract

Faxonius Virilis, the virile crayfish, faces threats from invasive species and increasing toxicity of freshwater ecosystems. As a keystone species, the effects of toxins like DEET have relatively unknown and potentially catastrophic effects on freshwater ecosystems in the Great Lakes Region. While other research has been conducted on the effects of DEET on other invertebrates, such as the Aquatic Midge and mosquitos, this study focuses on the virile crayfish in Michigan's inland lakes. Data was collected on the righting time of the crayfish(an effective proxy for neural ability supported by literature) and compared between individual crayfish before and after exposure to varying concentrations of DEET and statistically analyzed. Significant differences in the number of flips was found between the higher and lower(as well as control) test groups indicating a negative impact on neural ability of crayfish following exposure to DEET. This signals a potential threat to these ecosystems engineers and their respective food webs as pollution with DEET and other neurotoxins continues to increase in freshwater ecosystems in Michigan.