Periodic growth and growth cessations in the federally endangered freshwater mussel Cumberlandian combshell using a hierarchical Bayesian approach

Abstract

Understanding and monitoring life history traits is often important in endangered species conservation. Populations of the endangered mussel Cumberlandian combshell Epioblasma brevidens have continued to decline in the Powell River, USA. Understanding and modeling mussel growth is critical for effective reintroduction of this endangered species. In this study, 2 yr old E. brevidens that were produced in our laboratory were released to the Powell River in 2009 to augment this declining population. A mark-recapture monitoring approach using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags was used to assess the survival and growth of the released mussels. Hierarchical Bayesian growth models incorporating individual growth variations, periodic growth and growth cessations, along with multiple release occasions were developed and compared to the classic von Bertalanffy growth model. Our results showed that the hierarchical model that incorporated individual growth variation gave the best estimates of model parameters, yielding the lowest deviance information criterion value. Mussels exhibited different growth rates (K), including 0.015, 0.026, 0.110 and 0.050 (mo -1 ), corresponding to the duration of laboratory culture (ages 2, 3 and 4 yr old) and a growth cessation (GC) for 5.98 mo, respectively. The other parameters of asymptotic length (L ∞ ) and age at zero length (t 0 ) were 51.36 mm and −0.648 mo. The flexible structure of Bayesian hierarchical models allowed us to examine growth characteristics of E. brevidens in a changing environment to better understand the details of its growth and lifespan, thus providing useful data for conservation management.

Influence of surrounding land-use on mussel growth and glycogen levels in the St. Croix and Minnesota River Basins

“…using values for L t and L t?1 pooled for all individuals in each of the three areas from each river and using ANOVA tested whether location (river), sex and their interaction varied for these two variables. While there are some difficulties in estimating parameters of the von Bertalanffy models (Hua et al, 2016) they remain useful for comparing growth in mussel populations.…”

Evaluation of Costs Associated with Externally Affixing Pit Tags to Freshwater Mussels Using Three Commonly Employed Adhesives

“…Tiemann et al (2016) reported one (1%) tag failure during their assessment of short-distance mussel relocation with epoxy encapsulated PIT tags. Hua et al (2016) observed no failure of tags embedded in dental cement. We are unaware of any published studies that have evaluated PIT tag retention beyond 3 yr so we cannot speculate whether a particular type is more suited for long-term (.10-yr) study.…”

“…Despite their rapidly increasing use in mussel research and conservation, there has been just a few studies on the effects of external adhesion on mussel behavior, movement, growth, and survival (e.g., Wilson et al 2011;Peck et al 2014;Hartmann et al 2016a;Hua et al 2016). Furthermore, there has been no evaluation of the trade-offs in material cost and effort (i.e., application and curing time) between the three most widely implemented adhesive types.…”

Survival and growth assessment after reintroduction of the pocketbook mussel, Lampsilis cardium Rafinesque, 1820 among three streams in Nebraska (USA)

“…Preliminary observations showed that mussels exhibited growth cessation below 15°C, so this temperature was set as a threshold to determine the length of the mussels during the growing season. Indeed, mussels show a seasonal growth pattern with cessation caused by ambient environmental changes such as low water temperature, and several studies have shown that growth stops when temperatures drop below 15°C (Hastie & Young, 2003; Beaty & Neves, 2004; Hanlon & Neves, 2006; Haag, 2012; Haag, 2013; Hua et al, 2016). Air temperature data have been recorded daily at gauges near the three selected streams from the Climate Data Online tool provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).…”

“…Thus, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Plan has been implemented to provide a framework of goals to conserve, restore and enhance aquatic species, including the 88 federally endangered mussel species in the USA (USFWS; US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2016). Numerous conservation management strategies have been implemented so far, including mussel reintroduction, augmentation or translocation, depending on population or environmental conditions (Hua et al, 2016; Ferreira‐Rodríguez et al, 2019; Eveleens & Febria, 2022). In addition to their integral role in food webs and ecosystems, mussels can contribute to beneficial interactions and enhance ecosystem functioning by their restoration, which has the potential to generate ecosystem‐scale benefits (Vaughn, Nichols & Spooner, 2008; Geist, 2010).…”