Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide occurring in aquatic ecosystems. Due to exposure to xenobiotics, several harmful effects on aquatic organisms are noticed worldwide. Mangrove crabs are an ecologically important aquatic invertebrate species in food web interactions and in the mangrove ecosystem. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos on the mangrove crab, Episesarma tetragonum. Crabs were exposed to 0.0294 and 0.0588 ppm of chlorpyrifos for 7 and 28 days. Cytopathologic effects on the gill, hepatopancreas, and muscle were investigated, and observations were compared with a control group. The results suggest that chlorpyrifos induces time- and concentration-dependent cytopathological alternations in the gill and exhibited epithelial lifting, oedema, necrosis, and a fusion of secondary lamellae and haemorrhage. The deceased hepatopancreas showed infiltration, a large lumen formation, and the disappearance of haemocytes, while the muscle tissue showed atrophy, necrosis, a wavy appearance, an accumulation of granular material between muscle fibres, and fragmentation in a mangrove crab. This study shows the great potential of cytopathological investigations, allows us to assess the sensitivity of various aquatic animal species to potentially dangerous compounds, and calculates safe concentrations with which to reduce pesticide use.

Department of Chemical Biological Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences University of Messina Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31 98166 Messina Italy

Department of Veterinary Sciences University of Messina Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy

PG and Research Department of Zoology Khadir Mohideen College Affiliated to Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli Thanjavur Dist Adirampattinam 614701 India

Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice Zatisi 728 2 389 25 Vodnany Czech Republic

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