The toxicity test has been developed to examine the effects of pesticides on fertilization and early development of marine polychaete Hydroides elegans (H. elegans). The pesticides lead to pollution of the ground water, aquatic environments and also marine environment. It directly enters the food chains of the organisms, and it affects the marine ecosystems. The pesticides alter the regular functions of the marine organisms as well as the physiological structure. Results: The toxic effect of

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... rate on fertilization, early developmental stages of H. elegans, was examined, and it was found that the rate of successful development of embryonic development decreased when the concentration of phorate increased in sea water. The results present here strongly suggest that the mechanism of action of the pesticide probably acts on several intracellular targets based on EC50 values of the present study. It indicates that phorate was most toxic to the early developmental stages of H. elegans. Conclusion: The results indicate that the early development of H. elegans is highly sensitive to phorate. The sedentary polychaete, Hydroides elegans, can be routinely used as a test organism for eco-toxicity bioassays at tropical and subtropical regions.