Epizoic Invertebrate Communities on Upper Mississippi River Unionid Bivalves

Beckett, David C.; Green, BW; Thomas, Samantha; Miller, AC

doi:10.2307/2426876

Cited by 27 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…On the other hand, the positive relation between number of epibiotic egg-capsules and length of iron-coated shells can be attributed to the larger and more favourable space for egg-capsules fixation, and it is in accordance with other findings (BecKett et al 1996;cReed 2000) where shell size does play an important role for species abundance and richness of the epibionts, the larger shells being more intensely fouled comparing to the smaller ones.…”

Section: The Basibiont As Host For Epibiosissupporting

confidence: 90%

Photosynthetic microorganisms as epibionts and euendoliths on biotic substrates in a thermal spring with ferric-iron deposits.

Radea¹,

Louvrou²,

Pantazidou³

et al. 2010

Fottea

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Rust-coloured shells of the aquatic gastropod Ventrosia ventrosa, a new record for eastern Greece, indicating presence of iron (EDAX analysis) were studied for detection of iron-encrusted photosynthetic epibionts in a Greek brackish-water thermal spring (38 °C). Microscopic analyses (LM, SEM) revealed the presence of a biofilm consisted of mostly facultative micro-epibionts, i.e. a) 5 periphytic taxa of coccal and filamentous cyanobacteria, including a taxonomically and ecologically interesting morphospecies, Xenococcus cf. pyriformis, dominated exclusively on the shell surface, and b) pennate diatoms with higher species richness (18 periphytic taxa of the genera Amphora, Brachysira, Cymbella, Diatoma, Encyonema, Navicula, Nitzschia, Pleurosigma, Synedra, Ulnaria; 5 taxa as new records for Greece), most of them emerging only after acid treatment of whole gastropod shells. The abundant diatoms thriving directly or nearby the iron-coatings (Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta and Achnanthes brevipes sensu lato) exhibited different modes of attachment ('adnate' and 'pendunculate', respectively). Two euendolithic cyanobacteria (Hyella sp. and Leptolyngbya terebrans; the former with special taxonomic interest) were also found perforating the delicate gastropod shells, with no distinct differentiation in the extent of infestation between live and dead gastropod shells. Moreover, the possible impact of these encrusted photosynthetic assemblages on V. ventrosa was investigated; statistical analysis showed that a) there is no 'drag effect', induced by the epibionts, influencing the gastropod growth (i.e. shell length), b) shell size enlargement provides a favourable space and promotes the intense fouling by both micro-epibionts and macro-epibionts (eggcapsules), and c) the detachment prevention of egg-capsules is attributed to the biofilm development.

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Section: The Basibiont As Host For Epibiosissupporting

confidence: 90%

Photosynthetic microorganisms as epibionts and euendoliths on biotic substrates in a thermal spring with ferric-iron deposits.

Radea¹,

Louvrou²,

Pantazidou³

et al. 2010

Fottea

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“…Whether the impact of mussel biodeposition on the benthic food web is important or not also depends on the increased resource flux and/or concentration, plus additional constraints. As shown by Beckett et al (1996), there can be a direct link between native freshwater mussels and increased epibenthic invertebrates. In this study we examined the potential for mussels to impact food webs indirectly, by converting and re-directing food resources to other branches of the trophic web.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The functional role of native freshwater mussels in the fluvial benthic environment

2006

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1. Freshwater mussels are the dominant consumer biomass in many fluvial systems. As filter feeding grazers, mussels can remove large amounts of particulate matter from the water column and transfer these resources to the substrate as biodeposits (agglutinated mussel faeces and pseudofaeces). Mussel biodeposits are a nutrient rich and easily assimilated food source and therefore may have significant relevance to benthic community structure. This study examines the functional role of Margaritifera falcata in the South Fork Eel River, California. 2. We addressed two main questions: (i) Do mussels increase benthic resources in this system? (ii) If so, does this alter macroinvertebrate community structure? 3. Measurements and enclosure experiments in the South Fork Eel River show that mussels can play a significant role in local food webs by increasing available fine particulate matter (both organic and inorganic) on the substrate. We document increased benthic macroinvertebrate biomass for predators and collectors (Leptophlebidae) in the presence of mussels, but only in late summer.

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“…Shell size is particularly important. Larger shells usually support more individuals of a given fouling species (Caceres‐Martinez et al 1999, Creed 2000) and a greater richness of fouling species (Beckett et al 1996) than smaller ones. Shell size can also impose limits on the size of colonizing organisms.…”

Section: Traits Of the Engineered Habitat And Resources For Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mollusks as ecosystem engineers: the role of shell production in aquatic habitats

Gutiérrez¹,

Jones²,

Strayer³

et al. 2003

Oikos

879

562

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Epizoic Invertebrate Communities on Upper Mississippi River Unionid Bivalves

Cited by 27 publications

References 17 publications

Photosynthetic microorganisms as epibionts and euendoliths on biotic substrates in a thermal spring with ferric-iron deposits.

Photosynthetic microorganisms as epibionts and euendoliths on biotic substrates in a thermal spring with ferric-iron deposits.

The functional role of native freshwater mussels in the fluvial benthic environment

Mollusks as ecosystem engineers: the role of shell production in aquatic habitats

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