Activity, substrate selection, and effect of a simulated Amazon flood regime on the behaviour of the apple snail, Pomacea bridgesii

Abstract

This study investigated the behaviour of Pomacea bridgesii, describing the daily activity, substrate selection and the influence of the flood regime in the Amazon, the species’ native habitat. The present study described the daily activity and substrate selection, and evaluated the activity adaptations of the gastropods in a simulated flood-pulse regime. Gastropods were collected in Amazonas, Brazil, in June 2013. Assessments of the daily behaviour, substrate selection, and flood-pulse simulation were made in experimental water tanks. The snails were observed hourly for 48h, and their behaviour recorded on an ethogram. The snails were more active during the night, when up to 80% of them moved about. In general, during both day and night, the gastropods used the pebble substrate most often. Comparing the day periods, a significant proportion of the individuals that were using the pebbles moved to other substrates (t=5; d.f.=2; P=0.03). The interaction of the behaviour of P. bridgesii with the simulated flood-pulse regime showed a statistical difference between the dry period and the period of maximum water level. The water regime of the Amazon floodplain directly influenced the activity of P. bridgesii, with responses including self-burying and activity interruption, with the operculum closed to minimise water loss.

Archaeological history of Middle Holocene environmental change from fish proxies at the Monte Castelo archaeological shell mound, Southwestern Amazonia

“…As the water recedes, they burrow and wait until the next rainy season to return to active feeding and reproduction, or die. Due to this cycle, they can be used as potential indicators of seasonality in resource exploitation (Watanabe et al, 2015). Even though the species identification of apple snails will refine our understanding of their ecological habitats, the apple snails and talking fishes may have been captured simultaneously as it is probable that they inhabited similar locations.…”

“…An additional capture option is that of digging for apple snails, swamp-eels, and lungfish, which is possible during the dry season when they have burrowed into the channels of swampy areas to wait out the dry period and emerge during the next rainy season (Johansen and Lenfant, 1967; Bicudo and Johansen, 1979; Watanabe et al, 2015). Until recently, little attention was given to the importance of eel-like fishes in archeological sites, including in South America.…”

Mechanical characterization of the Amazonian Pomacea dolioides (Reeve, 1856) shell

“…Shells are remarkable structures of biological origin, with unique shapes and designs, and for some mollusks, properties such as superior fracture resistance, flexural strength and hardness (Currey & Taylor, 1974;Cortie et al, 2006;Shojaei et al, 2012). Such hard exoskeleton has great importance for animals living in tropical and humid environments, even though they are made up of thin structures, provide support and protection against predators, mechanical damage, dehydration and hydrostatic pressure (Furuhashi et al, 2009;Francis, 2012;Watanabe et al, 2015;Morii et al, 2016).…”

“…The gastropods of the genus Pomacea have already been studied for various aspects, antipredator behavior (Ueshima & Yusa, 2014), temperature effects on the shells (Yoshida et al, 2013;Bae & Park, 2015) the environment effects on shell shapes (Estebenet & Martín, 2003) effects of its introduction into other environments (Rawlings et al, 2007;Horgan et al, 2014) reproduction (Estoy Jr et al, 2002;Barnes et al, 2008;Wu et al, 2011) and its behavior in Amazon floodplain areas (Watanabe et al, 2015;Fonseca et al, 2017). However, even a shell being a structure of extreme importance for maintaining the animal life in its natural habitat, it was not found information regarding the behavior of this genus shells when subjected to mechanical stresses resulting from natural impacts, predator attacks and other abrasive effects of the environment.…”