Detachment, displacement and reattachment activity in a freshwater byssate mussel (Limnoperna fortunei): the effects of light, temperature and substratum orientation

Abstract

The ability of the freshwater bivalve Limnoperna fortunei to voluntarily detach from the substratum, crawl and reattach as a function of illumination, temperature, substratum orientation, and mussel size was investigated. Thirty-two per cent of the 879 experimental animals detached and reattached elsewhere at least once during five- to eight-day experiments. The proportions of mobile mussels were significantly higher in permanent darkness than under permanent illumination. Displacement distances were also higher in darkness, but statistical differences with illuminated individuals were inconclusive. No evidence of circadian rhythms was detected. Mobile mussels were often significantly smaller than non-mobile individuals. It was not possible to detect the effect of water temperature (22°C and 31°C), or substratum orientation (topside and underside) on mussel mobility, but because the power of the statistical tests was low, future experiments are needed to confirm this result. The ability of mussels to voluntarily detach and reattach elsewhere has important implications for biofouling control.

The effects of food quantity, light, and temperature on clearance rates in freshwater bivalves (Cyrenidae and Unionidae)

“…fluminea to estimate filtration activity in the field and reported a circadian rhythm with valves being closed in the morning but open in the afternoon. In addition, Duchini et al (2015) found that Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) is more mobile in darkness than in light. Kobak & Nowacki (2007) found that D. polymorpha shows light avoidance behavior.…”

Starvation shrinks the mussel foot secretory glands and impairs the byssal attachment

“…Mussels undergo migration under unfavorable conditions, which can be reflected in the secretion and shedding of byssus (Cotéand Jelnikar, 1999;Carrington et al, 2015;Li et al, 2015). Passive migration can be seen as a form of self-protection for mussels when they encounter unfavorable environments, dislodging themselves from the substrate to find suitable habitats (Hunt and Scheibling, 2001;Duchini et al, 2015;Iwasaki, 2015). Hard-shelled mussels (M. coruscus) are more prone to shedding byssus under high temperatures, low pH, and predator presence (Li et al, 2015;Li et al, 2020).…”

Golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) survival during winter at the northern invasion front implies a potential high‐latitude distribution

“…In this study, we adopted two methods to identify mussels that survived cold water exposures at the end of experiment, and both suffer from some uncertainties. First, counting only non‐displaced individuals (10.5%) as survivors can underestimate the survival rate because some mussels might have survived but moved to other locations (within the cage) via release of byssal threads and use of their foot (Duchini et al., 2015). This point is supported by the fact that more large animals were identified at the end of the field exposure (e.g.…”