Host Fishes Of Two Imperilled Freshwater Mussels: The Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta Raveneliana) And The Longsolid (Fusconaia Subrotunda)
- ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Rebekah Ewing (Creator)
- Institution
- Appalachian State University (ASU )
- Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
- Advisor
- Michael Gangloff
Abstract: Freshwater mussels have complicated life histories and their larvae are briefly parasitic on fishes. This presumably enhances dispersal and apparently aids the development of juveniles. Despite many advances in mussel propagation, many mussel-host fish relationships remain poorly understood and the hosts of many at-risk species remain unknown. I assessed the ability of a suite of co-occurring fishes to serve as hosts for two imperiled freshwater mussels, the Appalachian Elktoe and the Longsolid. The Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta raveneliana) is a freshwater mussel endemic to western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. It is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Longsolid (Fusconaia subrotunda) is a freshwater mussel found in the Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee river systems. It is currently proposed for threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. The only known host fishes for Appalachian Elktoe are Banded Sculpin (Cottus carolinae) and Mottled Sculpin (C. bairdi). Host fishes for the Longsolid were previously unknown. In March of 2022, host trials for the Appalachian Elktoe were conducted using 8 potential host fishes from 7 families at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s Conservation Aquaculture Center (CAC) in Marion NC. I determined that 6 of 8 species tested served as suitable hosts for Appalachian Elktoe. Glochidia transformed into juveniles on Northern Hogsucker (Hypentelium nigricans), Sicklefin Redhorse (Moxostoma sp.), Mottled Sculpin, Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum), Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus). However, there was no significant difference among host-specific survival rates because juveniles survived for only three weeks before they were consumed by flatworms. Longsolid host trials using 8 potential host fishes from 5 families were conducted in May 2022.
Host Fishes Of Two Imperilled Freshwater Mussels: The Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta Raveneliana) And The Longsolid (Fusconaia Subrotunda)
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Created on 3/8/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Ewing, R. (2022). Host Fishes Of Two Imperilled Freshwater Mussels: The Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta Raveneliana) And The Longsolid (Fusconaia Subrotunda). Unpublished Master’s Thesis. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.
- Language: English
- Date: 2022
- Keywords
- mussels, host fish, glochidia, Appalachian Elktoe, Longsolid