The relative toxicity of pesticides, Cypermetrin and Diazol against Clibanarius africanus (Decapoda – Paguridae) and Poecilia reticulata (Teleosti – Poeciliidae)

Abstract

The evaluation of the toxicity of the two pesticide products, cypermetrin and diazol against hermit crab Clibanarius africanus and fish Poecilia reticulata was conducted in the laboratory. The test pesticides were found to be differentially toxic to the test organisms. Cypermetrin was found to be more toxic than diazol, the 96h LC50 for cypermetrin against C. africanus being in the very low μg/l range, but in the low mg/l range against P. reticulata. Diazol was moderately toxic to both species, being in the mg/l range, but it was more toxic against C. africanus than P. reticulata. The 96h LC50 values indicated that C. africanus was 394.3 and 3.8 times more sensitive than P. reticulata against cypermetrin and diazol respectively.