Ingestion of macroplastics by common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Editor: Rubens M. Lopes The anthropogenic impact of pollution by plastic debris has threatened marine life inhabiting benthic and pelagic habitats from the poles to the equator (e.g., Ryan and Moloney, 1993; Derraik, 2002; Thompson et al., 2004). The ingestion of plastics by marine organisms is an increasing global trend due to the increase of these polymers in the oceans (e.g., Lusher et al., 2013; Besseling et al., 2015; Lusher et al., 2015; Lusher et al., 2018; Ostle et al., 2019; Neto et al., 2020). After reaching marine ecosystems, plastics can be found either in their large original size (i.e., macroplastic) or in small fragments (i.e., nanoplastics, microplastics, or mesoplastics) (Azevedo-Santos et al., 2019). Thus, the interaction of plastic debris with marine life is expected, and their ingestion has been documented in a wide range of marine organisms, including zooplankton, bivalves, fish, turtles, birds, and marine mammals (Azzarello and Van-Vleet, 1987; Lusher et al., 2015; Romero et al., 2015; Egbeocha et al., 2018). There are several possible reasons for the consumption of plastic debris by marine fish, including mistaking plastic for food because the odor of plastic in the sea is like that of food (Savoca et al., 2017), confusing it with prey species associated with floating plastic material while feeding on them, and preying on smaller organisms that have previously ingested plastics (Possato et al., 2011; Varghese et al., 2013). Records of fish ingesting plastic have increased in scientific literature because of concerns that the ingestion of anthropogenic debris by fish may, in turn, impact human health (Seltenrish, 2015; Lusher et al., 2015; Lusher et al., 2017; Azevedo-Santos et al., 2019). Plastic debris has a direct effect on fish, including the reduction in food uptake, internal abrasion and ulceration, diminished feeding stimulus, reproduction failure, and death following intestinal tract blockage (e.g., Azzarello and Van-Vleet, 1987; Ostle et al., 2019). From an ecological point of view, the ingestion of plastic debris is a route of entry for and potential cause of the biomagnification of toxic chemicals in the marine food web (Egbeocha et al., 2018). However, the environmental consequences of this contamination and the overall impact of plastic ingestion are still unknown, despite the growing number of publications on their presence in marine ecosystems and their ingestion by fish (e.g., Ryan and Moloney, 1993; Thompson et al., 2004; Gago et al., 2020, Neto et al., 2020). However, large pelagic fish, which are widely consumed by humans, show a presence of plastic debris that have the potential to indirectly affect human health (Romero et al., 2015). The common dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758 (Perciformes, Coryphaenidae), is fished in an important commercial and recreational fishery and is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters in which the surface water temperatures exceed 20oC (Gibbs and Collete, 1959). Top-level predators, such as the common dolphinfish, can account for substantial levels of tertiary production © 2021 The authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons license. Ocean and Coastal Research http://doi.org/10.1590/2675-2824069.20-002efsc Brief CommuniCation