Sediment ingestion in the invasive apple snail Pomacea canaliculata

SAVEANU LUCÍA; MANARA, ENZO; MARTÍN, PABLO R.

AQUATIC ECOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2023

1386-2588

Sediment represents both a habitat and a trophic resource for many aquaticorganisms, commonly known as deposit feeders. One of the most important freshwaterinvaders around the world is the polyphagous and opportunistic apple snail Pomaceacanaliculata, in which deposit feeding has not been reported. Our aims were to studythe frequency of sediment ingestion at different seasons in four watercourses within itsnatural range and to evaluate, under laboratory conditions, the relevance of this trophicresource for growth and survival of hatchlings and juveniles. Sediment ingestionshowed very high (80-100%) and similar frequencies in snails from differentwaterbodies and at different seasons. This trophic behaviour was also recorded inlaboratory experiments which allowed hatchlings to survive longer and to grow fasterand in the case of juveniles to maintain their live weights with a high level of activity.Sediment ingestion by P. canaliculata juveniles also reduces organic matter content inthe sediment. Sediment ingestion represents an alternative feeding behaviour for thisapple snail whose relevance increases when other trophic resources are absent orscarce. This may help young individuals to survive and populations to persist duringfood shortages, increasing the chances of invasion. The reduction by P. canaliculata ofthe organic matter content in the sediments could alter the biogeochemical processesoccurring in them and enhances the role of this apple snail as an ecosystem engineerin aquatic environments.