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Monday, May 26, 2008 - 4:00 PM
102
Shell morphology and physiological tolerances of the exotic apple snails Pomacea insularum and Pomacea canaliculata, in Florida
Jennifer L. Bernatis, UF - Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Univeristy of Florida and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, 7922 NW 71st St, Gainesville, FL 32653
The South American apple snails Pomacea canaliculata and Pomacea insularum have been implicated in the alteration of Florida aquatic ecosystems. However, the invasive Pomacea species truly responsible for the damage is unknown; recent genetic work demonstrated inaccuracies in the original species identifications. The purpose of this research was twofold: 1) determine differences in shell morphology between the species and, 2) determine physiological tolerances to environmental stressors. An analysis of 45 shell dimension relationships showed significant differences: adults (35 of 45 pairs, P < 0.05), and juveniles (33 of 45 pairs, P < 0.05); total width comparison for hatchlings was also significantly different. Tolerances of salinity, desiccation, pH, and starvation were tested. Salinity was tolerated up to 12 ppt for P. canaliculata and 8 ppt for P. insularum. Desiccation tolerance was at least 1 year for adults, up to 5 months for juveniles, and 7 weeks for hatchlings. Both species tolerate pH ranges of 5.5 – 10.5. P. insularum adults were less susceptible to starvation, however, juvenile P. canaliculata tolerated longer periods of starvation than juvenile P. insularum. Overall, the results of this research provide a mechanism for field identification and the physiological understanding necessary to determine potential effects on aquatic ecosystems.
Web Page: Exotic gastropods, morphology, physiology
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See more of The Nabs 56th Annual Meeting (25-28 May, 2008)