Growth, abundance, morphometric and metabolic parameters of three populations of Diplodon chilensis subject to different levels of natural and anthropogenic organic matter input in a glaciar lake of North Patagonia

Long-term feeding with Euglena gracilis cells modulates immune responses, oxidative balance and metabolic condition in Diplodon chilensis (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Hyriidae) exposed to living Escherichia coli

“…[64], and that digestive gland lysozyme was adaptively differentiated for digestive function [65e67]. Particularly, the ability of D. chilensis to digest E. coli and to incorporate bacterial fatty acids was previously reported by Lara et al [26] and Rocchetta et al [39], respectively. In this work, digestive gland bacteriolytic activity was higher in fed EG than in SV mussels, and decreased upon bacterial challenge only in starved mussels of both groups.…”

“…According to their shell length [39], relatively young adult mussels (n ¼ 48; 66.67 ± 0.59 mm shell length; 24.72 ± 6.8 g) were collected by a diver at 3 m of depth at a reference site located in the north coast of Lacar lake (40 10 0 S, 71 31 0 30 00 W). Mussels were transported in the cold to the laboratory and sorted into four aerated tanks (150 individuals/m 2 ) filled with sterile dechlorinated tap water (5 L).…”

“…However, mussels inhabiting sewage-polluted waters in Northwest Patagonia may suffer alterations in their oxidative balance, growth rate and population structure [25,39]. The protective action of feeding with Euglena sp.…”

Does shell shape variation play a role in conservation of the long‐lived freshwater bivalve Diplodon chilensis (Bivalvia, Hyriidae)?

“…Previous experimental results suggest that adult D. chilensis mainly feeds on phytobenthos including bacteria and less frequently on phytoplankton (Lara, Contreras, & Encina, ). It has also been shown that population density and growth rate of this species correlate with substrate organic matter content and with the concomitant variations in phytobenthic community (Lara et al, ; Lara & Parada, ; Rocchetta et al, ).…”

“…The freshwater mussels of the order Unionoida are long‐lived bivalves with slow growth; however, environmental conditions can cause important differences in life expectancy and growth rate between populations of the same species (Anthony, Kesler, Downing, & Downing, ; Cummings & Bogan, ; Watters et al, ). For D. chilensis , Rocchetta et al () have reported that differences on growth rate among three neighbour populations from North Patagonia (Argentina) are related to organic matter quality and quantity. In addition, environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, depth, and water flux) as well as ecological factors (e.g., population density, predation, and quality and quantity of food) may influence behavioural, physiological and morphological features related to the phenotypic plasticity of this species (Parada & Peredo, ; Peredo, Jara‐Seguel, Parada, & Palma‐Rojas, ), as has been reported for other unionoid mussels (Watters et al, ).…”