The toxicity of copper, cadmium and zinc to four different Hydra (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa)

An acute toxicity study of three metals to Hydra species carried out using two different assessment methods, (i) determination of the LC50 and (ii) measurement of progressive morphological changes, demonstrated that relative toxicity decreased from copper to cadmium with zinc the least toxic for all species. The latter method revealed more details of the effect on Hydra in terms of physical damage to the polyp but both methods indicated that H. viridissima was more sensitive to copper and cadmium than H. vulgaris1 (Zurich strain, male clone), H. vulgaris2 (a dioecious strain reproducing sexually and asexually) and H. oligactis (dioecious, reproducing sexually and asexually). The responses to zinc were similar for all Hydra. The possible role of metabolic interactions between H. viridissima and its symbiotic green algae in contributing to the greater sensitivity of this polyp is discussed.