Gill parasites on fish are likely to negatively influence their host by inhibiting respiration, oxygen transport capacity and overall fitness. The glochidia larvae of the endangered freshwater pearl mussel (FPM, Margaritifera margaritifera (Linnaeus, 1758)) are obligate parasites on the gills of juvenile salmonid fish. We investigated the effects of FPM glochidia encystment on the metabolism and haematology of brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758). Specifically, we measured whole-animal oxygen uptake rates at rest and following an exhaustive exercise protocol using intermittent flow-through respirometry, as well as haematocrit, in infested and uninfested trout. Glochidia encystment significantly affected whole-animal metabolic rate, as infested trout exhibited higher standard and maximum metabolic rates. Furthermore, glochidia-infested trout also had elevated levels of haematocrit. The combination of an increased metabolism and haematocrit in infested fish indicates that glochidia encystment has a physiological effect on the trout, perhaps as a compensatory response to the potential respiratory stress caused by the glochidia. When relating glochidia load to metabolism and haematocrit, fish with low numbers of encysted glochidia were the ones with particularly elevated metabolism and haematocrit. Standard metabolic rate decreased with substantial glochidia loads towards levels similar to those of uninfested fish. This suggests that initial effects visible at low levels of encystment may be countered by additional physiological effects at high loads, e.g. potential changes in energy utilization, and also that high numbers of glochidia may restrict oxygen uptake by the gills.
The life cycle of the endangered freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) includes a parasitic larval phase (glochidia) on the gills of a salmonid host. Glochidia encystment has been shown to affect both swimming ability and prey capture success of brown trout (Salmo trutta), which suggests possible fitness consequences for host fish. To further investigate the relationship between glochidia encystment and behavioural parameters in brown trout, pairs (n = 14) of wild-caught trout (infested vs. uninfested) were allowed to drift feed in large stream aquaria and foraging success, activity, agonistic behaviour and fish coloration were observed. No differences were found between infested and uninfested fish except for in coloration, where infested fish were significantly darker than uninfested fish. Glochidia load per fish varied from one to several hundred glochidia, however, and high loads had significant effects on foraging, activity and behaviour. Trout with high glochidia loads captured less prey, were less active and showed more subordinate behaviour than did fish with lower loads.Heavy glochidia loads therefore may negatively influence host fitness due to reduced competitive ability. These findings have implications not only for management of mussel populations in the streams, but also for captive breeding programmes which perhaps should avoid high infestation rates. Thus, low levels of infestation on host fish which do not affect trout behaviour but maintains mussel populations may be optimal in these cases. K E Y W O R D Sbehaviour, brown trout, glochidia, host, parasite
Low winter temperatures constrain predator‐detection and escape capabilities, making poikilotherms vulnerable to predation. Investigations of temperature effects on predator–prey interactions can therefore be of special importance in light of ongoing climate change, where winter temperatures are predicted to increase substantially at northern latitudes. Behavioral responses of stream fishes to terrestrial predators in winter are well recognised, whereas responses to predatory fish have received little attention. Using stream flumes, we examined the anti‐predator behaviour of one‐summer‐old brown trout (Salmo trutta) at 3 and 8°C in the presence and absence of burbot (Lota lota) under night, dawn, and daylight conditions. Burbot was placed upstream of the trout, separated by net screens. Lower temperature and the presence of burbot reduced trout activity. Light increased trout shelter use, and trout sheltered more in the presence of burbot. An interaction between the presence of burbot and light conditions affected trout position in the flumes: at night and dawn, trout positioned themselves further downstream when burbot were present than when absent, whereas during the day, trout maintained the same position in the presence or absence of the predator. Our results suggest that piscivorous fish, in addition to terrestrial predators, shape the behaviour of prey fishes in streams during winter. We show how predator avoidance results in altered diel patterns of juvenile brown trout under winter conditions, and that temperature has additional effects on trout behaviour.
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