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Karatayev, A. and L. Burlakova, 1996. Zebra Mussel Growth Under Different Conditions, Belorussian State University, Belarus Abstract from The Sixth International Zebra Mussel and Other Aquatic Nuisance Species Conference, Dearborn, Michigan, March 1996 Zebra Mussel Growth Under Different ConditionsGrowth of Dreissena polymorpha was studied during several vegetation seasons in different waterbodies of Belarus: a cooling water reservoir of a thermal power station, mesotrophic, eutrophic and strong eutrophic lakes, a stream between lakes, and a river. We found that in a moderately heated zone in a cooling waterbody zebra mussel growth rates are reliable higher than in control zone. Growth rates are higher in eutrophic lakes than in mesotrophic ones; and higher in the in stream and river than in the lakes. In all water bodies zebra mussel grew faster at the beginning of summer. We compared four methods of studying zebra mussel growth: counting rings on their shells; analyzing the dynamic size structure of their populations, and measuring growth of tagged mussels in cages and tagged mussels under natural conditions. The two last methods gave the best results. Growth of zebra mussels from four reservoirs located in different climatic zones of the former Soviet Union was analyzed: the North Caspian Sea (45° north latitude), Tsimlyanskoe (48° N lat.) reservoir, Lukomskoe Lake (55° N lat.) and Uchinskoe reservoir (56° N lat.) was analyzed. Significant correlations were not observed between zebra mussel growth and latitude, duration of growth season and the sum of effective temperature growth.
eywords: Zebra_mussel, Basic_biology, Ecological_interactions |
