Abstract
Introductions of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) into hydrologically isolated water bodies have been attributed to overland transport via (recreational) boat hulls. Before a boat becomes a successful vector, mussels must (1) attach to the hull, (2) survive air exposure during overland transport and (3) establish a viable population either after detachment or release of spat during launching or sailing. This study mimics these dispersal barriers and assesses the potential of boat hull-mediated release into a recipient environment for both species. Individuals were allowed to attach to aluminium and fibreglass plates. Hereafter, attached individuals were exposed to air and subsequently submerged again. Zebra mussels had a significantly higher attachment rate than quagga mussels. The percentage of attached dreissenid mussels that detached alive during rewetting ranged between 7.9 and 21.8%. No significant difference was found between species and hull materials. However, alive detachment during rewetting was significantly higher after 24 h compared to 48 h of air exposure. Our data allow modelling introduction pressure of lakes if quantitative data on overland boat movement and the density of attached mussels are available.
Highlights
The zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) and quagga mussel Dreissena rostriformis bugensis Andrusov 1897 have successfully invaded and continue to spread in both Western Europe and North America, making it important to assess their vectors for spread
The proportion of zebra mussel attachment was significantly higher than quagga mussel attachment
Our results indicate that zebra mussels are more likely to attach to common boat hull materials than quagga mussels
Summary
The zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) and quagga mussel Dreissena rostriformis bugensis Andrusov 1897 have successfully invaded and continue to spread in both Western Europe and North America, making it important to assess their vectors for spread. These mussels are able to attach to several other organisms and various types of substrate by producing byssal threads (Grutters et al, 2012). Dispersal of dreissenids can be attributed to a wide range of vectors (Matthews et al, 2014) These vectors enable continued spread in an already colonized river basin as well as long-distance dispersal, including overland transport to isolated water bodies by water craft. Several authors report introductions due to ballast water exchange (Johnson & Carlton 1996) and secondary spread due to discharge of water contained in boats (Johnson & Carlton, 1996), macrophytes attached to anchors, propellers or boat trailers (Johnson & Carlton, 1996; Johnson et al, 2001) or boat hulls (Minchin et al, 2003; Pollux et al, 2003)
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