Biol. Bull.
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Biol. Bull. 210: 51-63. (February 2006)
© 2006 Marine Biological Laboratory

Encapsulation of Attached Ectoparasitic Glochidia Larvae of Freshwater Mussels by Epithelial Tissue on Fins of Naïve and Resistant Host Fish

Constance L. Rogers-Lowery* and Ronald V. Dimock, Jr.

Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109

* To whom correspondence should be addressed, at Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane. Wilmington, NC 28409. E-mail: rogersloweryc{at}uncw.edu

To metamorphose into juveniles and subsequently mature into adults, the glochidia larvae of freshwater mussels in the order Unionoida must temporarily parasitize the gills, fins, or other external structures of fish. Once attached to the fish, the glochidium is encapsulated by host fish epithelial tissue. The migration of epithelial cells of the bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus over glochidia of Utterbackia imbecillis was examined by time-lapse video microscopy, and the morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Initially, the leading edge epithelial cells migrating over the larvae became rounded and the cells moved as a sheet until the attached glochidium was completely covered. Cyst formation on host fish that had been repeatedly exposed to mussel larvae was significantly delayed and morphologically irregular compared to that on naïve fish. Cyst formation on other species of fish that are less successful as hosts was examined. In general, it took longer for glochidia to become encapsulated on these less suitable potential hosts. The delay and irregularities in cyst formation on resistant fish and nonhost fish species may result in increased mortality and reduced success of metamorphosis of glochidia.






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