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Variation in tissue stoichiometry and condition index of zebra mussels in invaded Swedish lakes

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Abstract

We examined the spatial variation in carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P) stoichiometry and condition index of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), non-indigenous species, in four Swedish lakes with different productivity. Within-lake variability was observed in tissue C:N molar ratios of Dreissena in all lakes and in tissue C:P ratio only in three lakes. Depth had no effect on tissue C:P and N:P ratios of Dreissena. A positive correlation was found between C:N:P stoichiometry of seston and elemental composition of zebra mussel in one of the lakes. Tissue C:N and N:P ratios were the main factors that related to zebra mussel condition index. Zebra mussel condition was positively related to tissue C:N ratio. Smaller Dreissena had higher C:N ratio than larger Dreissena in two of the four lakes. Zebra mussels in the lake with highest productivity had lower C:P and N:P ratios than zebra mussels in the lake with lowest productivity. Our study suggests that the zebra mussel may modify their phosphorus content in relation to lake trophic state, and therefore cope with stoichiometric constraints which may explain the invasion success of this and other related species.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support of the Swedish Research Council to R. N. and P. E., Oscar and Lili Lamm Memorial Foundation to R. N., and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to U. G. We thank Helena Enderskog, Jan Johansson, and Nazila H. Koupayeh for assistance in laboratory analysis and Dr. Lars Rudstam for discussion. Comments from Dr. Ladd Johnson and two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript.

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  1. Rahmat Naddafi

    Present address: Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aquatic Science and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

    Rahmat Naddafi, Willem Goedkoop & Ulf Grandin

  2. Department of Ecology and Genetics/Limnology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden

    Peter Eklöv

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Correspondence to Rahmat Naddafi.

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Naddafi, R., Goedkoop, W., Grandin, U. et al. Variation in tissue stoichiometry and condition index of zebra mussels in invaded Swedish lakes. Biol Invasions 14, 2117–2131 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-012-0218-9

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