Effects of Sodium Chloride and Long‐Term, Low‐Concentration Exposures to Hydrogen Peroxide on New Zealand Mud Snails

Abstract

AbstractNew Zealand mud snails Potamopyrgus antipodarum (NZMS) are an invasive species and keeping NZMS out of hatcheries is important because the snail can be spread through the stocking of fish. We conducted a series of experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of using hydrogen peroxide to kill NZMS and sodium chloride to force NZMS to withdraw into their shells. The lowest concentrations of hydrogen peroxide that produced 100% mortality of NZMS were 750 mg/L for a 24‐h exposure and and 75 mg/L for a 96‐h exposure. We found that NZMS treated with sodium chloride withdrew into their shell and released from the substrate. Treatments with sodium chloride (717 mg/L) caused 70% of NZMS to withdraw into their shells and release from the substrate within the first minute of exposure, which could be beneficial in flushing them from a hatchery system provided there is sufficient discharge.