Abstract
Non-indigenous species (NIS) are well-recognized as threats to biodiversity worldwide. Yet the interaction between NIS and disease emergence in native habitats remains poorly understood. Bithynia tentaculata is an invasive aquatic snail which is now found in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). A key concern with this snail is that it harbors trematode parasites (such as Sphaeridiotrema spp.) that have been associated with waterfowl mortality in the region. In this study, we used a combination of field collections and laboratory experiments to better understand the roles that infection competency and host life-history responses play in disease transmission in the UMR. Results from the field and laboratory showed that B. tentaculata infected with Sphaeridiotrema spp. grew to a larger size than uninfected individuals. Although infection was not observed in a number of native species, results from this study suggest that they may still suffer exposure costs (such as reduced growth). Moreover, variability in infection competency between NIS and native snails may dilute or amplify host infection risk. This study reinforces the importance of considering both host life-history responses and competency in systems involving NIS, and provides insight into the factors potentially modulating waterfowl disease in the UMR.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 89-98 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Hydrobiologia |
Volume | 701 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Bithynia
- Invasive species
- Life history
- Parasitism
- Snail
- Sphaeridiotrema
- Trematode
- Waterfowl disease
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science