A1 Journal article (refereed)
Does the freshwater mussel Anodonta anatina remove the fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare from water? (2022)

Hajisafarali, M., Aaltonen, S., Pulkkinen, K., & Taskinen, J. (2022). Does the freshwater mussel Anodonta anatina remove the fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare from water?. Hydrobiologia, 849(4), 1067-1081. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-021-04769-6

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Hajisafarali, Mahsa; Aaltonen, Sari; Pulkkinen, Katja; Taskinen, Jouni

Journal or series: Hydrobiologia

ISSN: 0018-8158

eISSN: 1573-5117

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 05/12/2021

Volume: 849

Issue number: 4

Pages range: 1067-1081

Publisher: Springer

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-021-04769-6

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/78935

Abstract

Global decline of freshwater mussels (Unionoida) is threatening biodiversity and the essential ecosystem services that mussels provide. As filter-feeding organisms, freshwater mussels remove phytoplankton and suspended particles from the water. By filtering bacteria, freshwater mussels also decrease pathogen loads in the water. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the common freshwater bivalve Anodonta anatina (duck mussel) could remove the bacterial fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare from the water. Mussels reduced bacteria in both of the two experiments performed, so that the bacterial concentration at the end of the 96-h monitoring in mussel treatments was only 0.3–0.5 times that of the controls. Surprisingly, mussels did not reduce algal cell concentration statistically significantly. Mussel behavior (shell openness, foot position, and movement) was not affected by the presence of bacteria or algae, except for biodeposition formation, which was greatest in algal-fed treatments, followed by bacterial-fed treatments and controls, respectively. The intestines of bacteria-incubated A. anatina harbored F. columnare, suggesting that mussels ingested the bacteria. Present results suggest that freshwater mussels may also have a potential to mitigate aquaculture pathogen problems, as well as play a role in water quality management.

Keywords: bivalvia; Anodonta anatina; filtration; pathogens; bacteria; fish diseases; ecosystem services

Free keywords: biofiltration; columnaris disease; duck mussel; Unionidae; bacteria; ecosystem services

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1