Sources of bias in the use of shell fragments to estimate the size of zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena bugensis)

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 910-916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy S Mitchell ◽  
Robert C Bailey ◽  
Richard W Knapton
Keyword(s):  
Shell Length ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Shell Morphology ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Dreissena Bugensis ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
Length Relationship ◽  
Mussel Shells ◽  
Study Sites

Several researchers have examined size-selective predation on dreissenid mussels by first measuring septa from crushed mussel shells found in predators' gastrointestinal tracts and then using a regression of septum length on shell length to infer the size of consumed mussels. We examine three assumptions made when using this approach: (1) that the shell length : septum length relationship is site-independent within the study area, (2) where both zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) are present, that the shell length : septum length relationship is the same for both mussel species, and (3) that the predator foraged exclusively at the site of collection. We collected mussels at 6 sites along an 8-km stretch of Lake Erie shoreline and found that the shell length : septum length relationship varied significantly both among sites and between zebra mussels and quagga mussels. We then compared the regression for quagga mussels at one of these sites with that for intact valves of mussels taken from scaup (Aythya marila, Aythya affinis) collected at the site. Although ice cover at the time of collection restricted scaup to the site while foraging within the study area, regressions were again significantly different, i.e., scaup had been foraging elsewhere. Our results indicate that for at least some study sites, the use of septa to estimate dreissenid mussel size is not appropriate. However, when intact valves are found in a predator, variation in shell morphology can help to confirm or exclude possible foraging locales.

Discrimination of field-collected juveniles of two introduced dreissenids (Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena bugensis) using mitochondrial DNA and shell morphology

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1280-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Trevor Claxton ◽  
André Martel ◽  
Ronald M Dermott ◽  
Elizabeth G Boulding
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Shell Length ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Restriction Pattern ◽  
Shell Morphology ◽  
Quagga Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Bugensis ◽  
Early Juvenile ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
Juvenile Stages

We developed molecular markers to distinguish two species of exotic bivalves, the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and the quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis sensu lato). Restriction analysis of a 710 base pair fragment of the COI mitochondrial gene showed a single restriction pattern for zebra mussels and a single restriction pattern for quagga mussels for each of the enzymes ScrfI, Csp6I, and Sau96I. This molecular analysis also confirmed that there were no sex-specific restriction patterns for either species. We then used our molecular markers to confirm the species identity of postmetamorphic and early juvenile stages (>=>300 µm shell length) of zebra and quagga mussels from Lake Erie and the Rideau River (Ottawa, Ont.). Useful shell characteristics to discriminate between postmetamorphic and early juvenile stages (>=>300 µm shell length) of zebra and quagga mussel included (i) overlap of valves at the posterior region, (ii) position of the dorsal point of curvature, (iii) angle of shell at the dorso-anterior region (hinge), and (iv) level of flatness of the ventral region (>2 mm shell length). Juveniles of approximately 300-700 µm shell length can be identified using the valve overlap criterion alone.

Deepwater population structure and reproductive state of quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Erie

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 2428-2433 ◽  
Author(s):  
S L Roe ◽  
H J MacIsaac
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Gonadal Development ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Reproductive State ◽  
Dreissena Bugensis ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Quagga Mussels

Quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) population structure and reproductive status were assessed at deepwater (37 and 55 m) sites in eastern Lake Erie during July 1996. Mussels occupied ~70% of soft substrates at 37-m sites and between 63 and 90% at 55-m sites. Shell length and dry mass frequency distributions were similar at both sites, although recruits <<= 5 mm comprised a larger proportion of the population at the deeper site. The population surveyed here allocated disproportionately less mass to shell and more to soft tissues relative to zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) from shallow-water sites in eastern Lake Erie and from Lake St. Clair. The population at 55 m was slightly skewed toward male mussels (58%). Female mussels that were examined for reproductive state contained mature oocytes (80%) or had spent gonads (20%). Because water temperature at the site was only 4.8°C, this survey provides the first evidence of gonadal development and spawning by quagga mussels at low temperature. These findings contrast with most reports of spawning by congeneric zebra mussels at temperatures >=>12°C but are consistent with distributions of the species in different basins of the lake.

Physiological energetics of Lake Erie dreissenid mussels: a basis for the displacement of Dreissena polymorpha by Dreissena bugensis

2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Stoeckmann
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Shell Growth ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Sympatric Populations ◽  
Dreissena Bugensis ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
Respiration Rates ◽  
Western Lake

I measured respiration, shell growth, body mass, and reproduction in sympatric populations of zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga (Dreissena bugensis) mussels in western Lake Erie to determine if the species differ in physiological parameters and if any differences provide an explanation for the recent displacement of zebra mussels by quagga mussels. Between May and August, I measured respiration (1998), shell growth of marked mussels suspended in cages in the lake (1999–2000), soft body mass and mass of gametes released (1998–2001), and the number of gametes released by individual mussels (1999). Quagga mussels had lower respiration rates and greater shell growth and body mass. There was no difference in the percentage of spawning mussels or the number of sperm released by individuals, but zebra mussels generally released more eggs and a greater mass of gametes than did quagga mussels. Similar reproduction at a lower body mass indicates that zebra mussels devote a greater proportion of body tissue to reproduction. Lower respiration rates and larger size give quagga mussels a competitive advantage and may explain their displacement of zebra mussels.

Physiological and Taxonomic Separation of Two Dreissenid Mussels in the Laurentian Great Lakes

1993 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 2294-2297 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Domm ◽  
R.W. McCauley ◽  
E. Kott ◽  
J. D. Ackerman
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Shell Morphology ◽  
Survival Times ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
Average Survival ◽  
Thermal Histories ◽  
Allozyme Loci ◽  
Ecological Differences

Physiological techniques were used to separate two related Dreissena species initially established by electrophoretic and morphological characteristics (May and Marsden. 1992. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 49: 1501–1506). Samples of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and "quagga" mussels (provisionally either Dreissena polymorpha andrusovi or Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) of the same size growing side by side were collected in Lake Erie, thereby ensuring that they had identical thermal histories. Upper lethal temperatures of zebra mussels were significantly higher than those of quagga mussels. The critical thermal maxima of zebra mussels acclimatized at 20 °C were half a degree higher than those of quagga mussels. The average survival times of zebra mussels held at a constant lethal temperature were also significantly longer. These results indicate that in addition to differences in allozyme loci and shell morphology, these two dreissenids may be distinguished by important physiological differences in their thermal resistance; moreover, there may be important ecological differences associated with the different species of dreissenids in North America.

Comparative growth and feeding in zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena bugensis): implications for North American lakes

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 680-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad S Baldwin ◽  
Marilyn S Mayer ◽  
Jeffrey Dayton ◽  
Nancy Pau ◽  
Johanna Mendilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Assimilation Efficiency ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Functional Responses ◽  
Dreissena Bugensis ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Lower Biomass

In laboratory experiments, quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) survived as well as zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and equaled or exceeded their growth rate (–3 to 242% change in wet mass) when reared at 6 or 23°C and fed natural seston or Chlamydomonas at food levels ranging from 0.05–7.4 µg·L–1 chlorophyll a (chl a). Superior growth of quagga mussels was most pronounced at low food levels. We found no significant differences in per capita clearance rates (CR), functional responses, or feeding behavior between zebra and quagga mussels fed Chlamydomonas, Nannochloris, or mixed suspensions of Nannochloris and clay. Per capita CR ranged from 0.018 to 0.402 L·mussel–1·h–1 for zebra mussels and from 0.010 to 0.407 L·mussel–1·h–1 for quagga mussels. Because quagga mussels had more biomass per unit shell length, we found lower biomass-specific CR for quagga mussels. When fed natural seston, zebra and quagga mussels could selectively reject inorganic material and at the lowest seston level the assimilation efficiency of quagga mussels (81%) was significantly higher than that of zebra mussels (63%). Our experiments suggest that quagga mussels can survive, grow, and feed as well or better than zebra mussels in epilimnetic waters with either low or high productivity.

Comparative shell morphology of Dreissena polymorpha, Mytilopsis leucophaeata, and the "quagga" mussel (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) in North America

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane A. Pathy ◽  
Gerald L. Mackie
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Shell Structure ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Shell Morphology ◽  
Diagnostic Feature ◽  
Quagga Mussel ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
Mussel Shells

Dreissena polymorpha, recently introduced to freshwater habitats of North America, has been confused with Mytilopsis leucophaeata, a related species that is native to brackish and fresh waters of North America. The 1991 discovery of a second exotic dreissenid mussel, the "quagga" mussel, suggests there may be more than one species of Dreissena in the Great Lakes, resulting in even more confusion in identification within the family Dreissenidae. To help distinguish the species, internal and external features, ultrastructure, and composition of D. polymorpha, M. leucophaeata, and quagga mussel shells were determined using stereoscopic, scanning electron microscopic, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The most reliable diagnostic feature is the presence of an apophysis in M. leucophaeata and its absence in D. polymorpha and the quagga mussel. Mytilopsis leucophaeata and quagga mussels also lack the acute shoulder or ridge located ventrolaterally. Dreissena polymorpha, M. leucophaeata, and the quagga mussel all have an outer crossed-lamellar shell structure with an inner complex crossed-lamellar shell structure and a thin, prismatic pallial myostracum between. Microtubules are more prominent in M. leucophaeata than in D. polymorpha. No microtubules were found in the quagga mussels. Shells of D. polymorpha, M. leucophaeata, and the quagga mussel are composed entirely of aragonite crystals.

A method for reconstruction of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) length from shell fragments

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (12) ◽  
pp. 2486-2490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana J. Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Diving Ducks ◽  
Point Pelee ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Shell Fragments

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are subject to size-selective predation by several species of diving ducks and fish in Europe and North America. Ingested mussels are crushed, but the internal septum in the umbonal region of the mussel usually remains intact. Using mussels collected at Point Pelee, Lake Erie, I showed that there is a strong relationship between the length of the septum and of the mussel (r2 = 0.96). I compared this with a similar relationship developed for European zebra mussels and tested both models on mussels collected from Point Pelee and from Stoney Point, Lake St. Clair. Septal length relative to mussel length was greatest at Stoney Point and least at Point Pelee. The European estimates fell between the two. I concluded that to obtain accurate estimates of mussel length when investigating size-selective predation on zebra mussels, the relationship between mussel and septal lengths should be determined at each study location.

Occurrence of chironomid larvae (Paratanytarsus sp.) as commensals of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis)

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 1159-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Ricciardi
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mantle Cavity ◽  
Dreissena Bugensis ◽  
Chironomid Larvae ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
Elliptio Complanata ◽  
Dreissenid Mussels ◽  
First Case ◽  
St Lawrence River

Up to 38% of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and 10% of quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) collected from the upper St. Lawrence River in July 1993 were invaded by larvae of the tanytarsine chironomid Paratanytarsus sp. Third- and fourth-instar larvae were found living in the mantle cavity around the gills, gonads, and siphonal tissues. The larvae were never observed feeding on these tissues, and no tissue damage was detected. Most frequently, a single Paratanytarsus sp. larva occurred in a mussel; otherwise, two to six larvae were found. Invaded mussels were significantly larger than co-occurring non-invaded mussels. No chironomid larvae were found in young-of-the-year dreissenids. This is the first case of a large-scale endosymbiotic association, apparently a form of inquiline commensalism, between chironomid larvae and dreissenid mussels. Paratanytarsus sp. larvae also occurred in unionid bivalves (Elliptio complanata, Lampsilis radiata, Anodonta cataracta), but at relatively lower frequencies.

Identification of larvae: the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), quagga mussel (Dreissena rosteriformis bugensis), and Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea)

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 406-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Nichols ◽  
M. G. Black
Keyword(s):  
Shell Length ◽  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Corbicula Fluminea ◽  
The United States ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Shell Size ◽  
Asian Clam ◽  
Clam Corbicula ◽  
Asian Clams

There are presently four freshwater bivalves in the United States that produce larvae or veligers commonly found in the water column: two forms of Asian clams and two species of dreissenids. Portions of the geographic range of three of these bivalves, one species of Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), and quagga mussels (Dreissena rosteriformis bugensis), overlap, causing problems with larval identification. To determine which characteristics can be used to separate larval forms, adult Asian clams, quaggas, and zebra mussels were brought into the laboratory and induced to spawn, and the resulting larvae were reared. Hybrids between quaggas and zebra mussels were also produced, but not reared to maturity. Characteristics allowing for the most rapid and accurate separation of larvae were hinge length, shell length/height, shell shape, shell size, and the presence or absence of a foot and velum. These characteristics were observed in laboratory-reared larvae of known parentage and field-caught larvae of unknown parentage. In most cases, larvae of the Asian clam can be readily separated from those produced by either type of dreissenid on the basis of shell size and presence of a foot. Separating the gametes and embryos of the two types of dreissenids is not possible, but after shell formation, most of the larval stages can be distinguished. Hinge length, shell length/height, and the similarity in size of the shell valves can be used to separate straight-hinged, umbonal, pediveliger, and plantigrade larvae. Quagga × zebra mussel hybrids show characteristics of both parents and are difficult to identify.

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