The role of temperature and oxygen availability on the distribution of Corbicula largillierti

The invasiveness of Corbicula largillierti has been underestimated, but this bivalve is currently receiving more attention. The first study of the distribution of this species along one of the major basins of central Argentina showed that it was completely absent in the major central reservoir, but was present along its tributary and effluent rivers. Ten years later, this discontinuous distribution has not changed, despite the bivalve's high dispersion capacity. The main environmental differences between the reservoir and the rivers are that the former has finer sediment grain size, higher temperatures, and lower oxygen concentration during summer months. This study aimed to evaluate whether one of these factors could be limiting the distribution of C. largillierti. We assessed the metabolic response and burial behavior (under different grain sizes) of C. largillierti over 8 weeks at 30°C against a control condition at 20°C. We also analyzed the oxygen consumption (vO2) as a function of environmental oxygen concentration (pO2) at 25°C, estimating its metabolic regulation capacity (R). This showed the existence of an environmental oxygen concentration threshold (Pt) that could be an indicative of physiological limiting concentrations that compromise species survival and settlement. After 8 weeks at 30°C, the metabolic rate of individuals of C. largillierti increased and their burial behavior was slightly compromised but mostly for coarser sediments. Concerning environmental oxygen availability, C. largillierti is an oxyconformer with a low R (39.9%), a clear pattern of negative regulation, and a low Pt (48.4% air saturation). The lack of any regulation capacity of C. largillierti under environmental oxygen limitations and the extremely low pO2 at the bottom of the reservoir during summer months may explain its failure to colonize and survive there.Fil: Rodriguez, Florencia Anahi. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Reyna, Paola Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Maggioni, Tamara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Gimenez, Diego R.. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Torre, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentin

What does the freshwater clam, Corbicula largillierti, have to tell us about chlorothalonil effects?

Chlorothalonil (CLT) is a broad spectrum, and non-systemic fungicide applied in foliar structures to prevent and treat pathogens. This compound reaches to aquatic environments and affects the biota. In this context, the main goal of this study was to assess the effects of CLT at biochemical, tissular, and individual levels of biological organization using the invasive bivalve Corbicula largillierti as a bioindicator species. Clams were exposed to different sublethal concentrations (0, 10, 20 and 50 µg. L−1 CLT) for 96 h. At biochemical level, the enzymatic activity (Glutathione-s-Transferase, Catalase, Acetyl-, Butiryl- and Carboxyl-esterases) and lipid peroxidation were measured in gills and the visceral mass. Also, the digestive gland morphometry through quantitative histological indexes was registered at the tissular level. Finally, filtering activity and burial behavior at the individual level were measured. At the highest CLT concentration, the most significant changes were observed in enzymatic activity (except for butyrylcholinesterase), lipid peroxidation and in digestive gland morphometry. It was also registered increases of the filtering activity and the latency time to burial. Most of the biomarkers assessed showed significant responses under CLT exposure. Therefore, taking into account that C. largillierti was affected by CLT, it can be expected that other species could be in a potential risk if this fungicide is present in freshwater systems.Fil: Reyna, Paola Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Albá, M. L.. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Florencia Anahi. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Pegoraro, César Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Hued, Andrea Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Tatian, Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Ballesteros, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentin

Burial behavior data of Corbicula largillierti

Individuals of Corbicula largillierti were manually collected between 0 and 1 m depth from "Los Chorrillos" stream, at the upper part Suquía River Basin (Córdoba, Argentina 31.399849° S; 64.509624° W) during December 2017. Burial behavior data of Corbicula largillierti after four and eight weeks at 20 and 30ºC. The burial degree was included (completely, partially, or not buried). When burial degree was "completely buried" the burial time was measured. Burial time is the period since the bivalve introduces its foot in the sediment and the valve is positioned perpendicular to the sediment surface until the posterior end of the valves reaches the level. Burial behavior was tested under four different granulometries: coarse sand (0.5 - 1 cm), thin sand (0.2 - 0.5 cm), fine sand (0.1 - 0.2 cm) and very fine sand (<0.1 cm). Morphometric parameters (shell length (mm), shell height (mm) and dry mass without shell (g)) of each individual is included

Corbicula largillierti respiration under increasing hypoxia

Individuals of Corbicula largillierti were manually collected between 0 and 1 m depth from "Los Chorrillos" stream, at the upper part Suquía River Basin (Córdoba, Argentina 31.399849° S; 64.509624° W) during December 2017. The amount of oxygen consumed per unit of time (vO2) plotted as a function of the environmental oxygen levels (pO2) is one of the typical approaches to study measuring hypoxia tolerance of aquatic invertebrates to their environment. In this case, the vO2 (mg O2/g dm/h) of 18 individuals of Corbicula largillierti under decreasing pO2 (mg O2/l ) measured at 25ºC. Morphometric parameters (shell length (mm), shell height (mm)and dry mass without shell (g)) of each individual is included

Standard Metabolic Rate of Corbicula largillierti

Individuals of Corbicula largillierti were manually collected between 0 and 1 m depth from "Los Chorrillos" stream, at the upper part Suquía River Basin (Córdoba, Argentina 31.399849° S; 64.509624° W) during December 2017. Standard Metabolic Rate (SMR)of Corbicula largillierti was measured after four and eight weeks at 20 and 30ºC. SMR was measured based on the oxygen consumed per hour per gram of estimated dry mass (mg oxygen/g dm/h). Morphometric parameters (shell length (mm), shell height (mm) and dry mass without shell (g)) of each individual is included