ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to discuss the meaning of the “Eco” of Ecotoxicology, as well as some of the challenges to address it effectively, and also to analyze current perspectives to account for the diversity of life in Ecotoxicology. Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) are used as a striking example of the limited number of environmentally relevant model species currently in use for ecotoxicological tests, while high-throughput technologies are presented as an opportunity to identify new representative model species in order to account for biodiversity in ecotoxicology. In this context, the case of Loricariidae fish, a species-rich family endemic to the Neotropical Region, is described, reviewing published results and presenting on-going investigations. The intersections between Ecotoxicology and Systems Biology, Evolutionary Toxicology and Phylotranscriptomics are commented on. Finally, the ability to link the suborganismal responses obtained by the high-throughput technologies to population-level effects and population-level effects to alterations in the whole ecosystem is essential to resolve the ecosystem function and behavior, under homeostatic or stress conditions, at the molecular level.
