Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.09.288852v1?rss=1 Authors: Sorhus, E., Donald, C. E., Dasilva, D., Thorsen, A., Karlsen, O., Meier, S. Abstract: Early life stages of fish are highly sensitive to crude oil exposure and thus, short term exposures during critical developmental periods could have detrimental consequences for juvenile survival. To obtain a broader understanding of the mechanisms behind crude oil toxicity, we administered crude oil to Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) in short term (3-day) exposures at two developmental time-points, before and after onset of heartbeat. A frequent sampling regime enabled us to determine and link immediate PAH uptake, metabolite formation and gene expression changes (cyp1a,b,c,d, bmp10, abcb1 and rhag). In general, the embryotoxic consequences were more severe in the earliest exposure, and oil droplet fouling enhanced the toxicity. This study detected circulation-independent, oil-induced gene expression changes and separated phenotypes linked to proliferation, growth and disruption of formation events at early and late developmental stages. A greater understanding of crude oil toxicity is essential for predicting the consequences of oil spills. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info