Physiological response of invasive mussel Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) submitted to transport and experimental conditions

Abstract

Successful animal rearing under laboratory conditions for commercial processes or laboratory experiments is a complex chain that includes several stressors (e.g., sampling and transport) and incurs, as a consequence, the reduction of natural animal conditions, economic losses and inconsistent and unreliable biological results. Since the invasion of the bivalve Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) in South America, several studies have been performed to help control and manage this fouling pest in industrial plants that use raw water. Relatively little attention has been given to the laboratory rearing procedure of L. fortunei, its condition when exposed to a stressor or its acclimation into laboratory conditions. Considering this issue, the aims of this study are to (i) investigate L. fortunei physiological responses when submitted to the depuration process and subsequent air transport (without water/dry condition) at two temperatures, based on glycogen concentrations, and (ii) monitor the glycogen concentrations in different groups when maintained for 28 days under laboratory conditions. Based on the obtained results, depuration did not affect either of the groups when they were submitted to approximately eight hours of transport. The variation in glycogen concentration among the specimens that were obtained from the field under depurated and non-depurated conditions was significant only in the first week of laboratory growth for the non-depurated group and in the second week for the depurated group. In addition, the tested temperature did not affect either of the groups that were submitted to transport. The glycogen concentrations were similar to those of the specimens that were obtained from the field in third week, which suggests that the specimens acclimated to laboratory conditions during this period of time. Thus, the results indicate that the air transport and acclimation time can be successfully incorporated into experimental studies of L. fortunei. Finally, the tolerance of L. fortunei specimens to the stressor tested herein can help us understand the invasive capacity of this mussel during the establishment process.Keywords: bioinvasion, glycogen, golden mussel, physiology.Resposta fisiológica do mexilhão invasor Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) (Bilvalvia: Mytilidae) submetido ao transporte e condições experimentais ResumoA criação bem sucedida de animais em condições de laboratório para processos comerciais ou experimentais é uma cadeia complexa que inclui vários fatores de estresse (ex. coleta e transporte) que tem como consequência a redução das condições naturais do animal, prejuízos econômicos e resultados biológicos inconsistentes. Desde a invasão do bivalve Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) na América do Sul, vários estudos têm sido realizados para ajudar no

Effect of temperature on behavior, glycogen content, and mortality in Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) (Bivalvia: Mytilidae)

“…The use of metabolic reserves, or the depletion of glycogen concentrations, has been associated with the nutritional conditions of the mussels and is a good parameter for assessing their physiological conditions (Widdows and Bayne, 1971;Gabbott and Bayne, 1973;Patterson et ., 1999;Chen et al, 2001;Nandurkar and Zambare, 2012;Anacleto et al, 2013;Cordeiro et al, 2016Cordeiro et al, , 2017. In fact, stressors (e.g., extreme temperatures, starvation) cause severe changes in their metabolism and contribute to mortality (Patterson et al, 1999;Lee et al, 2008;Anacleto et al, 2013;Cordeiro et al, 2016).…”

“…To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of temperature and considering that mussels may respond differently to stressors (i.e., physiological response, behavioral response, mortality or some combination of these) (Dowd and Somero, 2010;Palais et al, 2011;Perepelizin and Boltovskoy, 2011;Cordeiro et al, 2016Cordeiro et al, , 2017, we attempted to examine the effects of different temperatures on L. fortunei responses. These data may contribute to (i) a better understanding of the physiological and behavioral responses of the golden mussel to different temperatures, which may be related to their ability to adapt to temperature changes,…”

“…A group of 800 mussels was selected using size as the criterion (21-27 mm in shell length). Later, other criteria were used for selection, and, after visual evaluation, individuals that did not attach to the containers and did not present extended siphons were excluded (Montresor et al, 2013;Cordeiro et al, 2017).…”

“…The physical and chemical parameters of the replacement water were also monitored as mentioned above. Each container was cleaned every day before water replacement, and the organic residues and feces were removed using tap water and a thin paintbrush (Cordeiro et al, 2017).…”

“…The physical and chemical parameters were monitored daily using the equipment specified above, and they were maintained at appropriate levels for L. fortunei (Montresor et al, 2013;Cordeiro et al, 2016Cordeiro et al, , 2017) (Tab. 1).…”