Life History of the endangered James spinymussel Pleurobema collina (Conrad, 1837)(Mollusca: Unionidae)
Abstract
The reproductive period, host fish requirements, and population characteristics of the James spinymussel Pleurobema collina (Conrad, 1837) were studied from 1987 to 1989 in the James River drainage, West Virginia. This summer brooder was gravid from late May through early August and released the majority of glochidia in early June through late July. The mean fecundity was roughly 13,000 brooded eggs/female. Observations in the field and laboratory implicated fishes of the Cyprinidae as hosts for glochidia of the James spinymussel. Induced infestations of glochidia on fishes in the laboratory confirmed seven host species: the bluehead chub Nocomis leptocephalus (Girard), rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides Girard), satinfin shiner Cyprinella analostana (Girard), rosefin shiner Lythrurus ardens (Cope), central stoneroller Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque), blacknose dace Rhinichthys atratulus (Hermann), and mountain redbelly dace Phoxinus oreas (Cope). The age class structure of two populations, obtained by thin-sectioning valves collected in muskrat middens, ranged from 3 to 19 yrs with evidence of strong and weak year classes. Incidence of spines differed significantly among populations. The mean annual mortality rate of adults was 15.6 plus or minus 1.4%
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