Effects of Developmental Exposure to Neurotoxic Algal Metabolites on Predator-Prey Interactions in Larval Pimephales promelas

We examined the effects of a potent algal neurotoxin, β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), on the development and behavior of larval Fathead Minnows, Pimephales promelas, during predator-prey interactions. We exposed eggs and larvae to environmentally relevant concentrations of BMAA (5, 25, 125, 625 ng/L) for 21 days, then tested subjects in prey-capture and predator-evasion assays designed to isolate the effects of exposure at sequential points of the stimulus-response pathway.