Avoidance behavior of cold-, cool-, and warmwater fish exposed to Zequanox in a two-choice preference chamber

Zequanox® is an EPA-registered biopesticide for controlling populations of dreissenid mussels (zebra and quagga mussels). Zequanox has demonstrated selective toxicity toward dreissenid mussels; however, a recent laboratory study indicated the potential for Zequanox to impact a non-target salmonid species. We assessed the potential exposure risk by observing the avoidance behavior of two representative species of cold-, cool-, and warm-water fish (lake trout, brook trout, lake sturgeon, yellow perch, fathead minnow, and bluegill). Fish were subjected to the maximum allowable concentration of Zequanox per the product label (100 mg/L active ingredient). Naïve juvenile fish (n = 30 per species) were individually observed in a two-current [...]