Dispersal and Recruitment of Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in a Nearshore Area in West-central Lake Erie: The Significance of Postmetamorphic Drifting

Abstract

Quantitative evidence that early postmetamorphic stages of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) can disperse in the water column and colonize substrates has been obtained using off-bottom scouring pad collectors and plankton sampling in a nearshore, shallow-water area (2–7 m) near Wheatley, Lake Erie, during August 1991. Collectors were deployed for 24–72 h, thus minimizing growth of recruits during deployments. Size criteria determined through an in situ growth experiment were used to discriminate between individuals arriving at a collector as (1) settling larvae or (2) postmetamorphic stages. During certain periods, 20–80% of individuals settling on collectors were postmetamorphic stages. Plankton samples taken near collectors also confirmed the presence of postmetamorphic stages in the water column. Most drifting juveniles ranged from about 300 μm shell length to 800 μm (some up to 1–2 mm). Although settlement by postmetamorphic stages occurred during various periods, they drifted and settled on collectors in much higher numbers during periods of strong wave action generated during storms. Colonization of natural and man-made substrates by postmetamorphic stages may be significant in exposed or turbulent areas and may impact on population dynamics. Whether postmetamorphic drifting is adaptive and which mechanisms are involved are unknown.