First finding of deepwater profunda morph of quagga mussel Dreissena bugensis in the European part of its range

Abstract

The deepwater profunda morph of quagga mussel Dreissena bugensis was found for the first time in the European part of its range. The mussels of this morph were found in the Cheboksary Reservoir situated in the midstream of the Volga River (Russian Federation). Traditional and geometric morphometrics confirm the similarity of studied specimens to profunda mussel described from the Great Lakes of North America. In the Cheboksary Reservoir the deepwater mussels live at depth of 26.5 m on sandy-pebbled substrate at conditions of high water velocity (>0.5 m/s), i. e. in the conditions unusual for American profunda. This fact reflects evident ecological plasticity of this morph. Discovery of the deepwater morph of quagga mussel in the European part of its range indicates that possibility of realization of the deepwater phenotype is inherent to this species. It is suggested that quagga mussel may possess two alternative developmental pathways that could be realized in appropriate conditions. Presumably, certain depth and/or water pressure may serve as signaling factors for activating the “deepwater” developmental pathway. The presence of deepwater and shallow-water morphs is very important adaptive feature for sedentary organisms such as dreissenids that are unable to select habitat actively since this feature allows for successful colonization of both deep and shallow water habitats.