Habitat traits, population structure and host specificity of the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera in the Waldaist River (Upper Austria)
Abstract: In European streams and rivers, the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera L., 1758) faces extinction. This is also true for the Waldaist River, with 20,000 specimens recorded in the early 1990s then Austria’s most important pearl mussel river. Nowadays, there is only a single 320 m stretch with noteworthy mussel densities. During an in-depth survey of this river stretch in 2010, we detected a total of 2,774 specimens. Mussel microhabitats were confined to patches of sand and fine gravel (psammal and akal) at run sections of the river, stabilized by large boulders. Pearl mussels avoided large accumulations of fine sediments. Typically situated at undercut slopes, preferred microhabitats were 0.25–0.50 m deep at baseflow with current velocities (at 40% depth) of 0.2–0.6 m s−1. A comparison of the present stock with data from 1997 revealed a rapid decline in mussel density down to 27%. We also noticed strongly reduced growth and a high mortality of medium age classes. Juvenile mussels were completely lacking. With respect to host specificity in terms of glochidia survival, the brook char Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill, 1814), a suitable host in North America, shed glochidia within eight days. In the brown trout Salmo trutta L., 1758, two strains were investigated. Glochidia survival, growth and prevalence were significantly higher in the Danish than in the Austrian hatchery strain.
- Location
-
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
- Extent
-
Online-Ressource
- Language
-
Englisch
- Bibliographic citation
-
Habitat traits, population structure and host specificity of the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera in the Waldaist River (Upper Austria) ; volume:68 ; number:5 ; year:2013 ; pages:922-931 ; extent:10
Biologia ; 68, Heft 5 (2013), 922-931 (gesamt 10)
- Creator
-
Jung, Michael
Scheder, Christian
Gumpinger, Clemens
Waringer, Johann
- DOI
-
10.2478/s11756-013-0244-9
- URN
-
urn:nbn:de:101:1-2409231611027.792628112245
- Rights
-
Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
- Last update
-
15.08.2025, 7:26 AM CEST
Data provider
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.
Associated
- Jung, Michael
- Scheder, Christian
- Gumpinger, Clemens
- Waringer, Johann
Other Objects (12)
Host specificity drives genetic structure in a freshwater mussel
Impacts of fish ponds on freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) streams
Conservation genetics and ecology of European freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera L.)
Proteins control in biomineralization processes of the freshwater pearl mussel Hyriopsis cumingii
Conservation genetics and ecology of European freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera L.)
Active movement to coarse grained sediments by globally endangered freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)
Active movement to coarse grained sediments by globally endangered freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)
Ethanol preservation effects on stable carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen isotopes in the freshwater pearl mussel
Effect of substrate particle size on burrowing of the juvenile freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera
Freshwater pearl mussels from northern Sweden serve as long-term, high-resolution stream water isotope recorders
Freshwater pearl mussels from northern Sweden serve as long-term, high-resolution stream water isotope recorders
Freshwater mussel populations in Pacific Coast Watersheds (Oregon, USA): occurrence, condition, habitat, and fish species overlap
Host specificity drives genetic structure in a freshwater mussel
Impacts of fish ponds on freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) streams
Conservation genetics and ecology of European freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera L.)
Proteins control in biomineralization processes of the freshwater pearl mussel Hyriopsis cumingii
Conservation genetics and ecology of European freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera L.)
Active movement to coarse grained sediments by globally endangered freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)
Active movement to coarse grained sediments by globally endangered freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)
Ethanol preservation effects on stable carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen isotopes in the freshwater pearl mussel
Effect of substrate particle size on burrowing of the juvenile freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera
Freshwater pearl mussels from northern Sweden serve as long-term, high-resolution stream water isotope recorders
Freshwater pearl mussels from northern Sweden serve as long-term, high-resolution stream water isotope recorders
Freshwater mussel populations in Pacific Coast Watersheds (Oregon, USA): occurrence, condition, habitat, and fish species overlap
Host specificity drives genetic structure in a freshwater mussel
Impacts of fish ponds on freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) streams
Conservation genetics and ecology of European freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera L.)
Proteins control in biomineralization processes of the freshwater pearl mussel Hyriopsis cumingii
Conservation genetics and ecology of European freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera L.)
Active movement to coarse grained sediments by globally endangered freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)
Active movement to coarse grained sediments by globally endangered freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)
Ethanol preservation effects on stable carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen isotopes in the freshwater pearl mussel
Effect of substrate particle size on burrowing of the juvenile freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera
Freshwater pearl mussels from northern Sweden serve as long-term, high-resolution stream water isotope recorders
Freshwater pearl mussels from northern Sweden serve as long-term, high-resolution stream water isotope recorders