Original paper

The respiration and filter-feeding rates of the snail Viviparus viviparus (Gastropoda) under simulated stream conditions

Höckelmann, Claudia; Pusch, Martin

Archiv für Hydrobiologie Volume 149 Number 4 (2000), p. 553 - 568

28 references

published: Nov 24, 2000

DOI: 10.1127/archiv-hydrobiol/149/2000/553

BibTeX file

ArtNo. ESP141014904001, Price: 29.00 €

Download preview PDF Buy as PDF

Abstract

In the lowland river Spree in north-east Germany, the freshwater snail Viviparus viviparus comprises 35 % of the total invertebrate biomass. Viviparus viviparus is able to obtain food by both grazing and filter-feeding. We investigated the seston removal rate and the respiration rate under simulated stream conditions. We measured three different size classes of snails at ambient temperatures ranging from 10 °C to 21 °C. The relationship between the snails' soft tissue dry mass (DM) and the height of the shell was: DM [g] = 0.01 · shell height3.1 [cm]. We found respiration rate to be 1-5 mg O2 g DM-1h-1. Respiration rate was significantly higher in smaller specimens (p < 0.05), and increased significantly with higher temperatures (p < 0.05). the q10-value was approximately 2. We found the seston removal rate to be 0.2-14 mg DM seston g DM-1h-1. There was a positive correlation between the seston concentration and the seston removal rate, and seston removal rate was significantly correlated with specimen size (p <0.05). in the largest size class we found also a correlation between temperature and seston removal rate (p < 0.05). since respiration and filtration are supported by the same anatomic organ, the gill, respiration and filtration rates were also correlated (p < 0.05). in the plankton-rich environment provided by the river spree, filter-feeding can be the main feeding mechanism for V. viviparus during the summer months.

Keywords

filter-feeding • invertebrate • freshwater snail • respiration • river Spree • Germany