quagga/zebra mussel life history

Quagga/Zebra Mussel Life History

Robert F. McMahon Professor Emeritus

Department of Biology The University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington

Center for Biological Macrofouling Research

Zebra Mussels in Lake Texoma, TX/OK

Outline

• Invasive Biology and Impacts of Zebra and

Quagga Mussels

• Invasion of North American Inland Waters

• Filter Feeding and Ecological Impacts

• Reproduction and Population Dynamics

• Requirements for a successful invasion

• Conclusions

Dreissenid Mussel Invasion of North American Inland Waters

Zebra and Quagga Mussels • Originally endemic to Europe

• Introduced to North America in ~ 1986

• Zebra mussels found in Lake St. Clair and western Lake Erie in 1989 • Quagga mussels also introduced in 1986 but not identified until 1991

• Rapidly spread throughout major US and Canadian drainage systems east of the Rocky mountains • Zebra Mussels: Great Lakes drainage, Mississippi River and eastern

tributaries, lower Missouri River, Arkansas River, isolated water bodies

• Quagga Mussels: Great Lakes drainage, upper Mississippi and lower Ohio Rivers, lower Colorado River, water bodies in Colorado, Arizona, southern California

• Rapid dispersal through navigable waterways on commercial vessels • Dispersed more slowly to isolated water bodies (i.e., overland transport)

• Quagga mussels found in Lake Mead (2007), soon after in the lower Colorado River, and reservoir lakes in southern California, Arizona

• Zebra Mussels found in San Justo Reservoir Central California (2008)

• Most costly macrofouling and ecological pests ever introduced to North American freshwaters

Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha

Quagga Mussel Dreissena rostriformis bugensis

Dreissenid Shell Morphology

1988

Zebra Mussel Invasion of the US

1990


1992


1994


1996


1998


2000


2002


2004


2005


2008


Present Quagga Mussel Distribution in the United States

Byssal Threads

Byssal Attachment

Cirri

Frontal Cilia

Zebra Mussel

Filter Feeding

and Its

Ecological

Impacts

Filter Feeding • Zebra and quagga mussels both

efficiently filter bacterioplankton (< 1 µm)

• Large adults may filter up to 1 L / hr

•Average ≈ 1.5 L / Day

• 150,000 L / Day at a density of 100,000 mussels / m2

• Results in rapid water clarification

• Removes phytoplankton and bacteria negatively impacting energy flow through food webs

• Promotes toxic blue-green algae blooms

•Quagga mussels are more efficient at filtering bacteria

• Can leads to eventual replacement of zebra mussels by quagga mussels

Average Secchi Disk an Chlorophyll a Concentration, Seneca Lake , NY

Maximum Depth of Submerged Macrophytes

in Oneida Lake, NY

Area of Submerged Macrophyte Cover,

Oneida Lake, NY

Filter feeding Impacts

Zhu. et al., 2006 Zhu. et al., 2006

Aquatic macrophyte growth in Lake St. Clair, MI, stimulated by zebra

mussels clarifying the water column

Dreissenid Mussel Impacts on Aquatic

Ecosystems

Lake Erie Food Web

Pelagic Benthic Macrophytes

Zebra/Quagga Mussel

Reproduction and

Population Dynamics

Dreissenid Life Cycle • Separate sexes - external fertilization

• Fecundity as high as 1,000,000 eggs per adult female per year

• Trochophore larva (6-20 Hours)

• No shell (≥ 40 µm)

• Early Veliger larva (3-4 Days) • D-shaped shell (80-100 µm)

• Late veliger larva (1-2 weeks) • Umbonal shell (100-250 µm)

• Pediveliger larva (2-3 weeks)

• Develops foot – settles, crawls to attachment site (200-400 µm)

• Plantigrade (3-4 weeks)

• Byssal attachment – transforms to mussel shape (250-500 µm)

• Juvenile (3-5 Weeks) • Mussel-shaped shell (>400 µm)

• Spawning occurs at low levels > 10°C

• Spawning maximized at > 18-28°C

• Settle in three to five weeks

D-shaped Veliger

Umbonal Veliger

Plantigrade

Umbonal Veliger

Pediveliger

Plantigrade Juvenile

Veligers

Zebra mussel veliger larvae from

Lake Texoma, Texas/Oklahoma

Newly Settled Juvenile Zebra Mussels, Lake Texoma, TX/OK

Dreissenid Population Dynamics

•Maximum age = 3-5 years depending on population

•Maximum adult size = 25 – 40 mm dependent on population

•Growth rate declines with increasing adult size

• Survival rate is low across year classes

•Adult growth rates and population density dependent on temperature and phytoplankton/bacterioplankton food density

•High fecundity leads to development of massive populations within 3-5 years after initial introduction

Zebra Mussel Growth and Longevity

in European Water Bodies

Zebra/Quagga Mussel

Requirements for

Successful Invasion

Water Quality Factors Affecting Dreissenid Mussel

Distribution and Invasion

• pH: Inhabit waters of pH > 7.4 • Attain highest densities at pH > 8.0

• Salinity: • Do not spawn or successfully fertilize above 7 ppt (21% SW)

• Larvae do not develop at > 8 ppt (24% SW)

• Juveniles and adults do not survive > 5 ppt (14% SW)

• Turbidity and Suspended Solids: • Thrive in lower Ohio and Lower Mississippi Rivers at > 80 NTU units

• Turbidity unlikely to be a factor in limiting distribution

• Organic Enrichment: • Does not generally limit distribution except when associated with

hypoxic conditions - will accelerate growth

• Phosphate Concentration: Found as low as 0.001 mg/L

• Nitrate Concentration: Not found below 0.009 mg/L

• Calcium Ion Concentration: Not found below 10-12 mg Ca/L

• Total Hardness: Not found below 25 mg/L Ca

• Alkalinity: Not found below 20 mg/L Ca

• Potassium Ion:

• Intolerant of waters with natural potassium concentrations > 30 mg

K1+/L (portions of upper Missouri River drainage basin)

• Flooding and Water Level Variation:

• Can have limited success in rivers prone to extensive flooding and

lakes with large annual level fluctuations (exception is Lake

Pleasant, Arizona)

• Large stable rivers and lakes with reduced level fluctuations are

most prone to invasion

• River populations are sustained by settlement of larvae carried downstream from mussel populations in upstream impoundments

• Pollution:

• Generally as tolerant of industrial and municipal water pollution as

are native unionid and Asian clams

• Will not invade waters made chronically hypoxic by receipt of

organic pollutants

Water Quality Factors Affecting Dreissenid Mussel

Distribution and Invasion (Continued)

1°C Mean Maximum Air Temperature Isotherms (1961-1990)

Source: Spatial Climate Analysis Service, Oregon State University

Confirmed zebra mussel populations

33°C

Confirmed western

quagga mussel populations

34°C

35°C

35°C

32°C

Windfield City Lake Lake Oologah

Lake Texoma

Temperature Tolerance

Predicted Zebra Mussel Distribution Based on Average Maximal and minimal

Monthly Surface Water Temperatures

• Generally agreed long-term incipient upper thermal limit of zebra mussels was 30°C and 28°C for quagga mussels

• Generally agreed temperature for initiation of spawning was 16-18°C • These temperature limits were used predict potential zebra mussel distribution in North

America based on maximum summer surface water temperatures – similar for quagga mussels

• Recent successful establishment of zebra mussels in warm waters of Texas and quagga mussels in the warm waters of the Lower Colorado, southern California and Arizona requires a re-examination of these assumptions

Zebra/Quagga Mussel Invasion of Southwestern Water Bodies

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Desiccation Tolerance in Zebra Musselsat Different Temperatures and Relative Humidities

Ho

urs

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rviv

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ed

Zebra Mussel Emersion Tolerance

• Summer emersion tolerance (<10-20 days)

• Temperature and humidity dependent

• Allows long distance overland transport

McMahon and Ussery

Trailered Boats as Zebra Mussel Dispersal Vectors in Southwest US

Britton and McMahon

100th Meridian

Boater Movement

in Western States

Database

Conclusions

• Zebra mussels in Oklahoma and Texas and quagga mussels in the lower Colorado

River, southern California and Arizona appear to evolved an increased thermal

tolerances which will allow them to invade the warm waters of the Southwestern US

• Could eventually lead to infestation of northwestern US water bodies

• Invasion risk assessments are required to determine the most at risk water bodies

• Analysis of boater movements/visitations

• Analysis of water body physical/chemical parameters

• pH, Ca2+ concentration, summer surface water temperatures

• Concentrate prevention efforts on at-risk water bodies

• Population genetics data suggest that introduction of large numbers of zebra or

quagga mussels are required to establish sustainable infestations

• Reducing the rate of mussel introduction could reduce potential for infestation

• Invasion risk assessments and monitoring for western water bodies

• Public and boater outreach/information/education programs

• Inspection and decontamination of boats and other submerged equipment

when leaving infested waters or entering un-infested waters

• Inspection and decontamination of large commercially hauled vessels

• HACCP plans/regulations developed to prevent mussel introduction on

construction/work sites in or near water bodies

• Development and enforcement of adequate rules, regulations and laws

• Coordination of prevention efforts among federal, state, and private entities

Thanks

For Your

Attention

Questions?

quagga/zebra mussel life history

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