Sedentary prey facing an acute predation risk: testing the hypothesis of inducible metabolite emission suppression in zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha

Abstract

It takes time before a defensive phenotype can be effectively developed, which handicaps sessile bivalves exposed to acute predation risks. In a laboratory experiment, we examined whether predation threats induce zebra mussels to limit metabolic rates, serving as a fast-response defence that reduces the chances of chemical detection by predators. We measured the respiration rate of mussels exposed to predation treatments (fish fed zebra mussels, fish fed chironomids, crushed zebra mussels) and to predationfree conditions, and we tested the effect of these treatments on attachment strength and aggregation. Compared with the predation-free controls, all mussels in the predation treatments tended to initially have suppressed metabolic rates. The rate of metabolism increased over time in all treatments, but only in the presence of fish fed chironomids was the increase significantly greater than in the control. Attachment strengths and aggregation rates were similar for all treatments after 7 days. Our results provide the first evidence of predation-induced changes in zebra mussel metabolic rates. We suggest that mussels respond differently to different types of predation threats. Immediately after receiving predation cues, they react promptly by lowering their production of metabolites, but over time, they re-adjust their response to the actual predation threat present.

Predation risk and habitat complexity modify intermediate predator feeding rates and energetic efficiencies in a tri‐trophic system

“…Contrary to our fourth hypothesis, we found no effect of chemical cues on metabolic rates of all three intermediate predators. However, our result contrasts with previous studies that reported elevated metabolic rates under predation risk in tadpoles (Steiner & Van Buskirk, 2009), grasshoppers (Hawlena & Schmitz, 2010b), spiders (Okuyama, 2015), bivalves (Antoł et al, 2018), and damselflies (Culler et al, 2014). However, our result contrasts with previous studies that reported elevated metabolic rates under predation risk in tadpoles (Steiner & Van Buskirk, 2009), grasshoppers (Hawlena & Schmitz, 2010b), spiders (Okuyama, 2015), bivalves (Antoł et al, 2018), and damselflies (Culler et al, 2014).…”

“…This response is consistent with previous studies showing that odonate predators respond primarily to visual predation risk stimuli (Corbet, 2004;Crespo, 2011). However, our result contrasts with previous studies that reported elevated metabolic rates under predation risk in tadpoles (Steiner & Van Buskirk, 2009), grasshoppers (Hawlena & Schmitz, 2010b), spiders (Okuyama, 2015), bivalves (Antoł et al, 2018), and damselflies (Culler et al, 2014). Our experimental method for producing the chemical cues was comparable to those used in other studies investigating the effect of predation risk (Brönmark & Hansson, 2012).…”

“…Respiration rate (a proxy of metabolic rate) of prey can increase (Beckerman, Wieski, & Baird, 2007;Hawlena & Schmitz, 2010a;Okuyama, 2015;Slos & Stoks, 2008;Steiner & Van Buskirk, 2009) or decrease under predation risk (Antoł, Kierat, & Czarnoleski, 2018;Barry & Syal, 2013;Handelsman et al, 2013;Smith, Sims, & Vich, 1981). Respiration rate (a proxy of metabolic rate) of prey can increase (Beckerman, Wieski, & Baird, 2007;Hawlena & Schmitz, 2010a;Okuyama, 2015;Slos & Stoks, 2008;Steiner & Van Buskirk, 2009) or decrease under predation risk (Antoł, Kierat, & Czarnoleski, 2018;Barry & Syal, 2013;Handelsman et al, 2013;Smith, Sims, & Vich, 1981).…”

“…Predation risk can also influence the metabolic rates of the prey, which together with the effects on feeding rates may have consequences for short-and long-term interaction strengths. Respiration rate (a proxy of metabolic rate) of prey can increase (Beckerman, Wieski, & Baird, 2007;Hawlena & Schmitz, 2010a;Okuyama, 2015;Slos & Stoks, 2008;Steiner & Van Buskirk, 2009) or decrease under predation risk (Antoł, Kierat, & Czarnoleski, 2018;Barry & Syal, 2013;Handelsman et al, 2013;Smith, Sims, & Vich, 1981).…”

Conservation of freshwater bivalves at the global scale: diversity, threats and research needs

“…These papers cover a wide variety of topics, from a review of ecosystem services provided by freshwater mussels (Vaughn, 2017) to papers describing the diversity patterns and conservation of Unionida in East and Southeast Asia (Zieritz et al, 2017) as a result of international collaboration. Seven papers focus on different biological aspects of invasive bivalve species, including diversity changes by species substitution , physiological aspects (Labecka & Domagala, 2016), dispersion (Collas et al, 2016), ecological effects on native bivalve species (Ferreira-Rodríguez et al, 2016), low palatability to distinct predators (Castro et al, 2017), metabolite emission suppression in zebra mussels exposed to predation stress (Antoł et al, 2017) and the use of a new sonar technology and underwater imagery analysis for the survey of FB in rivers (Mehler et al, 2016). Propagation as a conservation tool was the subject of three studies: one about an improved method of in vitro culture of glochidia (Ma et al, 2016), one introducing short-term breeding of the Endangered freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera (Linnaeus, 1758) as a new technique for the augmentation of declining populations (Moorkens, 2017) and one revising the challenges in the conservation progress of Margaritifera auricularia (Spengler, 1793) .…”