The Effect of TSS and Flowing Conditions on Mussel Clearance Rates

Session: Physical Ecology in Large Lakes and Their Watersheds

Shaylah Tuttle-Raycraft, University of Guelph, [email protected]
Josef Ackerman, University of Guelph, [email protected]

Abstract

Unionid mussels are often found in turbid rivers in which their feeding and reproductive efficiency should be impaired. We examined the clearance rate (CR) of Lampsilis siliquoidea from a clear and turbid river in response to increased concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS = 0, 5, 20 and 100 mg/L) and water velocity (U = 0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.25 m/s) in a funnel chamber and a recirculating flow chamber.  Increased TSS led to lower CR in mussels from both rivers at all velocities, however increases in velocity reduced the magnitude of the decline with respect to TSS. Overall, the turbid water mussels were less affected by increased TSS. The mussels from the turbid river differed anatomically (i.e., greater (1) palp:gill ratio, (2) number of cilia per cirri, (3) number of cirri per cm, and (4) thickness of palp cilia, and less cilia per unit area of palp) from the clear river animals. These anatomical differences likely facilitate more efficient feeding in turbid water. These results demonstrate the importance of using a multistressor approach in evaluating responses of aquatic organisms, as well as providing a potential mechanism to explain how mussels exist in turbid rivers.

Twitter handle of presenter
@FluidsEnviros