Feeding ecology of freshwater mussels (Unionids)

Freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Unionidae) play a crucial role in freshwater river environments where they live in multi-species aggregations and often serve as long-lived benthic ecosystem engineers. Many of these species are imperiled and it is imperitive that we understand their basic needs to aid in the reestablishment and maintenance of mussel beds in rivers. In an effort to expand our knowledge of the diet of these organisms, five species of mussel were introduced into enclosed systems in two experiments. In the first, mussels were incubated in water from the Clinch River (Virginia, USA) and in the second, water from a manmade pond at the Commonwealth of Virginia Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center in Marion, VA. Quantitative PCR and eDNA metabarcoding were used to determine which planktonic microbes were present before and after the introduction of mussels into each experimental system.