HR: 09:00h
AN: NB41D-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Mussel Glochidia Identification and Infestation Patterns on Fishes in the Sipsey River, Alabama
AU: * Kennedy, T B
EM: kenne033@bama.ua.edu
AF: University of Alabama, Aquatic Biology Program P.O. Box 870206, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 United States
AU: Haag, W R
EM: whaag@fs.fed.us
AF: USDA Forest Service, Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research 1000 Front Street, Oxford, MS 38655 United States
AB: We examined fishes monthly for naturally occurring infestations of mussel larvae (glochidia) in the Sipsey River, Alabama, and tested the utility of simple morphometrics to identify glochidia from this assemblage. We examined 41 fish species (n = 654 individuals) representing 9 families but found glochidia on only 13 species from 5 families. Across all fish species, 14% of individuals were infested. The most commonly infested fishes were Ammocrypta beani (57% of individuals), A. meridiana (50%), Cyprinella venusta (51%), and Etheostoma stigmaeum (36%). Number of glochidia on individual fishes ranged from 1-231. We measured shell length, hinge length, and height of known glochidia from 21 mussel species occurring in the Sipsey River. Mean dimensions for the largest species were 5-7 times greater than the smallest species. Glochidia size varied little within species except for Pleurobema decisum which was represented by two glochidial morphotypes. Discriminant functions analysis classified 72% of total glochidia (n = 870) to the correct species. For individual species, percentage of correct classification ranged from 42-100%. Glochidia of closely related species were not necessarily more similar than to distantly related species. For example, species of Quadrulini represented some of the smallest and largest glochidia in the study.
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
DE: 9902 NABS Student Award Applied Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly