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Feeding ecology of three freshwater mussel species (Family: Unionidae) in a North American lentic system

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Abstract

Freshwater mussels are typically considered to be primarily filter-feeders with an ability to pedal feed, however there is limited information regarding interspecific differences in food resources and feeding modes. The objective of this study was to investigate interspecific variation in food resource usage among mussels in a lentic system associated with a reservoir drawdown. We quantified carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 isotopic signatures for three mussel species, including a Federally Threatened species, and their potential food resources in Gantt Lake, Alabama, USA. For all species, carbon-13 derived from limnetic, benthic fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) contributed on average 99% to the mussel diet. Paradoxically, mussels collected from the littoral zone relied primarily on food resources from the limnetic zone, although this spatial disconnect may have been an artifact of the sampling regime. Carbon-13 associated with littoral FPOM, limnetic and littoral suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) and coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) contributed < 1%. Elliptio pullata (Lea, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science 8: 262, 1856) collected live but emersed for 8 weeks were enriched in nitrogen-15, providing evidence of catabolism during emersion. Results suggest that benthic sources can be a dominant food resource for unionids and that stranded unionids rely on internal energy stores to survive emersion.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, K. Fogelman, upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank PowerSouth for granting access, coordinating field volunteers, and providing general resources necessary for the study. Paul Johnson (AL DCNR), Trent Carnley (Power South), Wesley Robertson (Power South), Dilan Manring (Power South), Khalil Carson (Troy University), Kellan Hoffman (Troy University), Cory Harper (Troy University), and Patrick Jordan (Auburn University) provided additional field assistance and Todd Fobian (AL DCNR) provided administrative assistance. Henry Hershey provided assistance in R. We would also like to thank Benjamin Harlow at Washington State University Stable Isotope Core Laboratory for assistance with sample processing.

Funding

Funding was provided by a Section 6 Grant from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. We thank the reviewers who provided useful comments and suggestions to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    Kaelyn J. Fogelman & James A. Stoeckel

  2. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Troy University, Troy, AL, 36082, USA

    Jonathan M. Miller & Brian S. Helms

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  1. Kaelyn J. Fogelman
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Contributions

KF: analysis, data curation, writing (original), writing (review and editing). JS: sample collection, writing (original), writing (review and editing), supervision. JM: conceptualization, methodology, data and sample collection, writing (review and editing). BH: conceptualization, methodology, data and sample collection, analysis, data curation, writing (original), writing (review and editing), supervision.

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Correspondence to Kaelyn J. Fogelman.

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Fogelman, K.J., Stoeckel, J.A., Miller, J.M. et al. Feeding ecology of three freshwater mussel species (Family: Unionidae) in a North American lentic system. Hydrobiologia 850, 385–397 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-022-05080-8

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