Invasive Mollusc Research Articles

New records of Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) from Central Italy

New populations of Dreissena polymorpha have been found in Tuscany in both 2003 and 2005. These findings indicate that the spread of D. polymorpha is still in progress and that this invasive mollusc continues to colonise Italian river basins.

Soluble nitrogen and phosphorus excretion of exotic freshwater mussels (Dreissena spp.): potential impacts for nutrient remineralisation in western Lake Erie

Summary1. Recent increases in phytoplankton biomass and the recurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in western Lake Erie, concomitant with a shift from a community dominated by zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) to one dominated by quagga mussels (D. bugensis), led us to test for differences in ammonia‐nitrogen and phosphate‐phosphorus excretion rates of these two species of invasive molluscs.2. We found significant differences in excretion rate both between size classes within a taxon and between taxa, with zebra mussels generally having greater nutrient excretion rates than quagga mussels. Combining measured excretion rates with measurements of mussel soft‐tissue dry weight and shell length, we developed nutrient excretion equations allowing estimation of nutrient excretion by dreissenids.3. Comparing dreissenid ammonia and phosphate excretion with that of the crustacean zooplankton, we demonstrated that the mussels add to nitrogen and phosphorus remineralisation, shortening nitrogen and phosphorus turnover times, and, importantly, modify the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles in Lake Erie. The increased nutrient flux from dreissenids may facilitate phytoplankton growth and cyanobacterial blooms in well‐mixed and/or shallow areas of western Lake Erie.

Effect of an invasive mollusc, American slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata, on habitat suitability for juvenile common sole Solea solea in the Bay of Biscay

This study describes the effect of an invasive mollusc, the slipper limpet Crepidula forni- cata, on the distribution and abundance of young-of-the-year sole Solea solea in coastal nursery areas, based on beam-trawl surveys in the Bay of Biscay (France) over a 3 yr period (2000 to 2002). As habitat suitability for juvenile sole varies according to bathymetry and sediment structure, these factors and the density of the slipper limpet were used as descriptors in generalised linear models of habitat suit- ability to characterise the distribution of juvenile sole. The models were based on a delta distribution, coupling a binomial model testing for the presence of juvenile sole with a log-normal distribution for density when juveniles were known to be present. These linear models were used to quantify the effect of the presence and density of the slipper limpet on the density of young-of-the-year sole in nursery habitats. Despite large variability in the data set, this quantitative approach emphasised the negative role of the mollusc on juvenile sole density in the Bay of Biscay. There was no apparent effect of the slipper limpet on the extent of the sole nursery grounds, but the density of young-of-the-year sole was significantly lower where this invasive species was established. The negative effect of this invasive species on nursery habitat capacity and sole stock recruitment is discussed.

Establishment of a new host–parasite association between the introduced invasive species Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Smith) (Gastropoda) and Sanguinicola sp. Plehn (Trematoda) in Europe

AbstractThe trematode fauna of Potamopyrgus antipodarum, an introduced and invasive gastropod mollusc species native to New Zealand, was studied in Mont Saint Michel Bay (France). The study revealed, for the first time in Europe, the occurrence of larval digenean species, Sanguinicola sp., a blood fluke of fish never previously recorded in this prosobranch. Phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the morphology of the parasite. Hypotheses on the origin of the P. antipodarum–Sanguinicola sp. association are discussed in relation to the history of invasion of the gastropod into brackish and fresh waters and the structure of local gastropod communities.

Melanoides tuberculatus (O. F. Müller, 1774) (Orthogastropoda: Thiaridae), a gastropod species new for the fauna of Poland

Melanoides tuberculatus (O.F. Mull.), a gastropod species new for the fauna of Poland, was found in discharge canals of the P1tnow and Konin power stations, situated in the Kujawy Lake District (Central Poland). The exotic gastropod, known in Europe mainly from aquaria and conservatory ponds, is the sixth invasive mollusc species recorded from heated waters of the Kujawy Lake District. The following alien mollusc species had been earlier identified in the area: bivalves Anodonta woodiana (Lea) and Dreissena polymorpha (Pall.), snails Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray), Menetus dilatatus (Gould), and Ferrissia wautieri (Mirolli).

Characterization of tri- and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci in the invasive mollusc Dreissena bugensis.

Molecular EcologyVolume 8, Issue 4 p. 692-693 Characterization of tri- and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci in the invasive mollusc Dreissena bugensis A. B Wilson, A. B WilsonSearch for more papers by this authorE. C Boulding, E. C BouldingSearch for more papers by this authorK.-A. Naish, K.-A. NaishSearch for more papers by this author A. B Wilson, A. B WilsonSearch for more papers by this authorE. C Boulding, E. C BouldingSearch for more papers by this authorK.-A. Naish, K.-A. NaishSearch for more papers by this author First published: 31 May 2013 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294x.1999.00875.xCitations: 12 R. Paxton Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2 W1, Canada Fax: +49-7531-88-3018; E-mail: [email protected] AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume8, Issue4April 1999Pages 692-693 RelatedInformation

Carbon disulfide modification of human serum low density upoprotein (LDL): characteristics and pathophysiological implications

Freshwater mollusks are a large, diverse group, which includes snails (class Gastropoda) and clams and mussels (class Bivalvia). Mollusks have a body plan that includes a calcium carbonate shell, mantle tissue, and a muscular foot. Gastropods have a well-developed head with tentacles, a foot modified for creeping, and a univalve shell that is usually coiled. Snails are primarily herbivores and detritivores, and grazing by snails can control algal quantity and quality. They display a wide range of life-history strategies from separate sexes to hermaphroditism and parthenogenesis. They are common intermediate hosts for digenetic trematodes. Freshwater bivalves include fingernail clams and larger freshwater mussels that burrow in the sediment, as well as attached forms such as zebra mussels. They have a shell composed of two valves, a reduced head, and a foot modified for digging. Bivalves are suspension feeders that use their enlarged gills to filter material from the water column; through this activity they link the water column with the benthic sediments by cycling nutrients and other materials. Bivalves in the order Unionoida have a complex life cycle in which the larvae (glochidia) are ectoparasites on fish. Invasive mollusks causing ecological changes and economic damage include Bithynia, Dreissena, and Corbicula.

Daily Settlement Rates of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, on an Artificial Substrate Correlate with Veliger Abundance

The relationship between daily settlement rates and local concentrations of veligers of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, was investigated using plankton sampling and scouring pad collectors. A total of 102 plankton and 136 collector samples were taken from a nearshore site near Wheatley, Ontario, in west-central Lake Erie, over 17 consecutive d in August 1992. Results demonstrate a strong correlation between daily settlement rates and daily concentrations of late-stage (competent) veligers in the water column (determined at shell lengths ≥ 170 μm; r = 0.93–0.98; p < 0.001; log10-transformed data). Variations in settlement rates of 1–3 orders of magnitude occurred within 24–96 h. Results also suggest that wind-induced hydrodynamics can affect settlement rates of zebra mussel larvae; the period used to monitor settlement (24 h) was much shorter than that employed (~1–2+ wk) in previous studies. Daily monitoring of concentrations of late-stage veligers in the water column as well as settlers (fibrous collectors) may help to identify biological and physical factors affecting short-term variability in settlement; it may also prove advantageous for industries where early detection of colonization by the zebra mussel is critical for cost-effective control of this invasive mollusc.