Patterns of growth, brooding and offspring size in the invasive mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from an anthropogenic heat island

Abstract

In freshwater temperate environments, waterbodies warmed by power plants can serve as a stepping stone in the spread of tropical and subtropical species. This offers a unique opportunity to acquire an insight into the life history of organisms undergoing range expansions beyond their native habitat. Here, we studied the patterns of offspring production and growth in the Asian mussel Sinanodonta woodiana inhabiting the thermal plume of the Odra River in Central Europe. Compared to the S. woodiana males, females had more convex shells and had a greater tendency to continue post-maturation growth and thus follow an indeterminate growth pattern. Gravid females were observed all-year round, and individuals with either large or more convex shells brooded more offspring. The proportion of incubating females, brood size and glochidia size were linked to gonadal activity and changed seasonally. Females with a higher amount of nutritive substances in the ovaries produced more and larger offspring. The smallest and the largest offspring occurred in the summer and in the winter, respectively. Sinanodonta woodiana incubated different offspring generations simultaneously, constantly releasing them into the environment. Using a life history evolution perspective, we discuss our results in view of allocation trade-offs between growth and offspring production.