Reestablishing a host-affiliate relationship: migratory fish reintroduction increases native mussel recruitment.

Co-extirpation among host-affiliate species is thought to be a leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide. Freshwater mussels (Unionida) are at risk globally and face many threats to survival, including limited access to viable host fish required to complete their life history. We examine the relationship between the common eastern elliptio mussel (Elliptio complanata) and its migratory host fish the American eel (Anguilla rostrata), whose distribution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is limited, in part, by dams.

The effects of salinity exposure on multiple life stages of a common freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata.

There is growing concern over the effects of increased salinization on freshwater organisms, which are largely unknown for unionid mussels. Adult and larval Elliptio complanata were exposed to low-level salt concentrations to determine the effects on mussel survival, physiology, and reproduction. Adults were exposed to salt concentrations of 0 parts per thousand (ppt), 2 ppt, 4 ppt, and 6 ppt NaCl and monitored over 7 d for mortality.