Journal article
Age and growth in the Australian freshwater mussel, Westralunio carteri, with an evaluation of the fluorochrome calcein for validating the assumption of annulus formation
Freshwater Science, Vol.33(4), pp.1127-1135
2014
Abstract
Growth and longevity of freshwater mussels (Unionida) are important for defining life-history strategies and assessing vulnerability to human impacts. We used mark-recapture and analysis of shell rings to investigate age and growth of the hyriid, Westralunio carteri, at 5 sites in southwestern Australia. We tested the utility of the in situ marker calcein for validating the assumption of annulus formation in adults. Calcein was incorporated into the shells of all recovered individuals, but it provided an interpretable reference mark in only 4 of 16 individuals. These 4 individuals produced 1 shell ring subsequent to the mark, supporting the assumption of annulus production during the austral winter. Maximum age ranged among populations from 36 to 52 y and maximum size ranged from 72.9 to 82.8 mm. Mean age and length did not differ between sexes, and growth trajectories differed between sexes at only 1 site. Estimates of growth measured by the von Bertalanffy growth constant, K, ranged from 0.021 to 0.336 among sites. Estimates from mark-recapture experiments were 20 to 52% lower than values from shell annuli at all sites except 1 where K from shell annuli was similar to 1/2 that estimated from mark-recapture. Both methods showed a positive relationship between K and mean water temperature among sites, suggesting a role of riparian shading in regulating stream temperature, and hence, indirectly influencing mussel growth. Mussel growth and mean N or P concentrations were not related among sites, but total N at the site with highest mussel growth was >2x higher than at any other site. Westralunio carteri is a long-lived, slow-growing bivalve. Maximum age, K, and probable age at maturity (4-6 y) are similar to other slow-growing freshwater bivalve groups. This suite of life-history traits is considered an adaptation for stable aquatic habitats. Therefore, W. carteri can be expected to adapt poorly to human impacts, such as riparian clearing and water extraction, which increase the temporal variability of environmental conditions in streams.
Details
- Title
- Age and growth in the Australian freshwater mussel, Westralunio carteri, with an evaluation of the fluorochrome calcein for validating the assumption of annulus formation
- Authors/Creators
- M.W. Klunzinger (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityS.J. Beatty (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityD.L. Morgan (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityA.J. Lymbery (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityW.R. Haag (Author/Creator)
- Publication Details
- Freshwater Science, Vol.33(4), pp.1127-1135
- Publisher
- Society of Freshwater Science
- Identifiers
- 991005540047807891
- Copyright
- © 2014 by The Society for Freshwater Science
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Freshwater Fish Group and Fish Health Unit; School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites
Metrics
399 File views/ downloads
134 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.2 Marine Biology
- 3.2.1002 Bivalve Ecology
- Web Of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Marine & Freshwater Biology
- ESI research areas
- Plant & Animal Science