Fluoxetine:
A recent study has revealed that long-term exposure to fluoxetine (Prozac) can significantly disrupt the behaviour and reproductive traits of the male guppy fish.
- Fluoxetine is a common antidepressant medication.
- It inhibits the uptake of serotonin by nerve cells (neurons) and helps people with depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
- At low concentrations, fluoxetine reduces activity levels and increases refuge-seeking behaviour in male guppy fish.
- It also altered their body condition, increased the size of their reproductive organs, and reduced sperm velocity. These effects could have significant implications for mating success and reproductive fitness in polluted waters.
- Fluoxetine exposure reduced behavioural plasticity in the fish, suppressing within-individual variation in both activity and refuge.
- Individual fishes are behaving more rigidly, potentially limiting their ability to respond flexibly to their environment.
- High fluoxetine concentrations increased variation in body condition between individuals, while low concentrations increased variation in sperm numbers.
- Guppy Fish are a small, pretty species of fish that are extremely popular for home aquariums.
- These are a species of small tropical freshwater fish.
