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Balogh C, Jermacz Ł, Serfőző Z, Kobak J. When two evils are not equal: Differential biofouling of unionid bivalves by two invasive dreissenid species. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 942:173700. [PMID: 38844235 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Byssate bivalves are ecosystem engineers with world-wide impact on aquatic communities through habitat forming and biofouling of hard-shelled organisms. In fresh waters, they are represented by invasive Ponto-Caspian dreissenid mussels spreading throughout Europe and North America. They negatively affect globally threatened unionid mussels by fouling, which deteriorates their condition and survival. The appearance of quagga mussels (D. rostriformis bugensis, QM) in areas occupied by zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha, ZM) usually has led to the replacement of ZM by QM. We combined long-term field survey (Lake Balaton, Hungary) and experimental data to check differences in fouling of unionid mussels (Unio tumidus and Sinanodonta woodiana) by the two dreissenids, determine their mechanisms and predict environmental consequences of the species replacement. ZM fouled unionids evenly throughout the year, whereas QM exhibited high fluctuations, being common on unionid shells during their recruitment peak (summer), decreasing towards autumn and almost completely absent in spring. Such fluctuations did not occur on stony substrata. This pattern suggests that interspecific differences in fouling did not result from recruitment preferences, but from greater detachment of QM from unionid substratum, whereas ZM more often remained attached to their initial recruitment sites. This was supported by the results of the laboratory experiments, in which dreissenid mussels did not show any consistent preference or avoidance of unionid mussels. Whereas, QM attached less often than ZM to hard objects and showed a higher detachment rate. Furthermore, dreissenids increased detachment after substratum immersion into soft sediments, indicating their capability of coping with suffocation after the burrowing of the living substratum or its siltation. The observed pattern indicates that the replacement of ZM by QM in the dreissenid assemblage may reduce fouling pressure on unionids. On the other hand, unionids may become a refuge for ZM in habitats invaded by competitively superior QM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csilla Balogh
- HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, H-8237 Tihany, Hungary; National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, HUN-REN BLRI, Tihany, Hungary.
| | - Łukasz Jermacz
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Ecology and Biogeography, ul. Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Zoltán Serfőző
- HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, H-8237 Tihany, Hungary; National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, HUN-REN BLRI, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Jarosław Kobak
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, ul. Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
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Kleinteich J, Frassl MA, Schulz M, Fischer H. Climate change triggered planktonic cyanobacterial blooms in a regulated temperate river. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16298. [PMID: 39009635 PMCID: PMC11250786 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66586-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Harmful algae blooms are a rare phenomenon in rivers but seem to increase with climate change and river regulation. To understand the controlling factors of cyanobacteria blooms that occurred between 2017 and 2020 over long stretches (> 250 km) of the regulated Moselle River in Western Europe, we measured physico-chemical and biological variables and compared those with a long-term dataset (1997-2016). Cyanobacteria (Microcystis) dominated the phytoplankton community in the late summers of 2017-2020 (cyano-period) with up to 110 µg Chlorophyll-a/L, but had not been observed in the river in the previous 20 years. From June to September, the average discharge in the Moselle was reduced to 69-76% and water temperature was 0.9-1.8 °C higher compared to the reference period. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and silica (Si) declined since 1997, albeit total nutrient concentrations remained above limiting conditions in the study period. Cyanobacterial blooms correlated best with low discharge, high water temperature and low nitrate. We conclude that the recent cyanobacteria blooms have been caused by dry and warm weather resulting in low flow conditions and warm water temperature in the regulated Moselle. Under current climate projections, the Moselle may serve as an example for the future of regulated temperate rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kleinteich
- Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany.
| | - Marieke A Frassl
- Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Manoj Schulz
- Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Helmut Fischer
- Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
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Li T, Zhang T, Liu M, Zhang Z, Zhang J, Niu J, Chen X, Al-Farraj SA, Song W. Findings on three endocommensal scuticociliates (Protista, Ciliophora) from freshwater mollusks, including their morphology and molecular phylogeny with descriptions of two new species. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 6:212-235. [PMID: 38827127 PMCID: PMC11136938 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-024-00230-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Species of the ciliate genera Myxophyllum and Conchophthirus are found as endocommensals of terrestrial and freshwater mollusks, respectively. So far, there have been few studies of these genera and morphological data for most members are often incomplete. In the present work, two new species, Myxophyllum weishanense sp. nov. and Conchophthirus paracurtus sp. nov., and a known species, Conchophthirus lamellidens, were isolated from hosts in Lake Weishan Wetland, China. Taxonomic studies indicate that M. weishanense sp. nov. can be recognized mainly by the combination of about 60 somatic kineties on both ventral and dorsal sides and the presence of caudal cilia. Conchophthirus paracurtus sp. nov. differs from congeners in its body shape and size, having a glabrous area on the posterior right side, and having fewer somatic kineties. In addition, differences in their ITS2 (Internally Transcribed Spacer 2) secondary structures support the discrimination of the two new species from their highly similar congeners. An improved diagnosis for the poorly known species, C. lamellidens is also provided. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that members of the genus Myxophyllum belong to a fully supported clade that is sister to a large, poorly supported clade consisting of Hemispeiridae, Ancistridae, and several lineages of the nonmonophyletic Cyclidiidae. The Myxophyllum clade also includes Protophyra ovicola JQ956552, a possible misidentification. Sequences of the two new Conchophthirus species cluster with other congeners in a fully supported clade that is unrelated to either the 'typical' thigmotrichs or to pleuronematids, thus conflicting with the traditional classification, and may represent an orphan scuticociliate lineage. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-024-00230-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Li
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Tengyue Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002 China
| | - Mingjian Liu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Qingdao, 266003 China
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Jiachen Zhang
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Junhua Niu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Xiangrui Chen
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315800 China
| | - Saleh A. Al-Farraj
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Weibo Song
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, 266237 China
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Zhang T, Vďačný P. Deciphering phylogenetic relationships of and delimiting species boundaries within the controversial ciliate genus Conchophthirus using an integrative morpho-evo approach. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 190:107931. [PMID: 37742881 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The phylum Ciliophora (ciliates) comprises about 2600 symbiotic and over 5500 free-living species. The inclusion of symbiotic ciliates in phylogenetic analyses often challenges traditional classification frameworks due to their morphological adaptions to the symbiotic lifestyle. Conchophthirus is such a controversial obligate endocommensal genus whose affinities to other symbiotic and free-living scuticociliates are still poorly understood. Using uni- and multivariate morphometrics as well as 2D-based molecular and phylogenetic analyses, we attempted to test for the monophyly of Conchophthirus, study the boundaries of Conchophthirus species isolated from various bivalves at mesoscale, and reveal the phylogenetic relationships of Conchophthirus to other scuticociliates. Multidimensional analyses of morphometric and cell geometric data generated the same homogenous clusters, as did phylogenetic analyses based on 144 new sequences of two mitochondrial and five nuclear molecular markers. Conchophthirus is not closely related to 'core' scuticociliates represented by the orders Pleuronematida and Philasterida, as assumed in the past using morphological data. Nuclear and mitochondrial markers consistently showed the free-living Dexiotricha and the mouthless endosymbiotic Haptophrya to be the nearest relatives of Conchophthirus. These three highly morphologically and ecologically dissimilar genera represent an orphan clade from the early radiation of scuticociliates in molecular phylogenies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengyue Zhang
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovak Republic; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Peter Vďačný
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
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Seitz C, Scordo F, Suenaga E, Carlson EM, McMillen S, Gregory L, Chandra S. Salinity and pH effects on survival, growth, and reproduction of quagga mussels. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15450. [PMID: 37255591 PMCID: PMC10226475 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In recent decades, invasive quagga mussels have expanded to the Western United States from the Great Lakes region of North America. Most studies that evaluate the invasion potential of quagga mussels in western water bodies have utilized physiological and life history information from zebra mussels, a related taxon. Few studies have assessed the potential for invasion using specific information from quagga mussel life history or experiments that test for their survival in the fresh and saline waters of the western United States. Methods We investigated quagga mussel survival, growth, and reproduction using semi-natural experiments under temperature and light controlled conditions across a gradient of water salinity (fresh to brackish) and pH (8.4-11). Water from Lake Mead was used as a positive control in our experiment, and water from Pyramid Lake and the Truckee River was used as brackish and freshwater treatments, respectively. The mussels used in the experiments were collected from Lake Mead. Results After 12 h in brackish water (4 ppt, pH 9.3), we observed 100% mortality of adult mussels. The swelling and disintegration of body tissues and high mortality rates indicated that high potassium, sodium, and chloride concentrations were the likely causes of death in brackish water treatments. In contrast, mussels were able to survive, grow, and reach sexual maturity in freshwater (0.1 ppt) with a low calcium concentration (17 mg L-1) after 57 days. Mussels died after 2 days at pH 11 and after 12 days at pH 10; during the 14-day monitoring period, no mortality was detected at pH 9.0, 9.3, or 9.5 and mussels did not exhibit any visual indications of stress. Understanding quagga mussel physiological and environmental tolerances appears to be essential for assessing their invasion potential in aquatic habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Seitz
- Department of Biology, Global Water Center and University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United State of America
- IPATEC, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche (CRUB), (CONICET-UNCO), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
- Departmento de Geología, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo Scordo
- Department of Biology, Global Water Center and University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United State of America
- Instituto Argentino de Oceanografia (IADO), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Geografía y Turismo, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Erin Suenaga
- Department of Biology, Global Water Center and University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United State of America
| | - Emily M. Carlson
- Department of Biology, Global Water Center and University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United State of America
| | - Shaye McMillen
- Department of Biology, Global Water Center and University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United State of America
| | - Logan Gregory
- Department of Biology, Global Water Center and University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United State of America
| | - Sudeep Chandra
- Department of Biology, Global Water Center and University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United State of America
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