Native and non-native mollusk prey vulnerability to juvenile black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) predation

Runyon, Andrew

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120336 Copy

Description

Title

Native and non-native mollusk prey vulnerability to juvenile black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) predation

Author(s)

Runyon, Andrew

Issue Date

2023-02-02

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Parkos, Joseph J

Committee Member(s)

• Larson, Eric
• Porreca, Anthony

Department of Study

Natural Res & Env Sci

Discipline

Natural Res & Env Sciences

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Black carp
• Predator-prey
• Invasive species
• North American mollusks

Abstract

The black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) is a non-native molluscivorus fish originating from eastern Asia, whose population is currently expanding within the Mississippi River Basin. This expansion is threatening diverse communities of freshwater mollusks present within this watershed. While there is some knowledge on the feeding behavior and capabilities of adult black carp, little of this information is known about juvenile black carp. To help fill this knowledge gap, I used a series of feeding experiments to quantify the size-specific vulnerability of native and non-native mollusks to predation by juvenile black carp and compared prey electivity, attack rate, and consumption rate of juvenile black carp to that of juvenile blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), a native benthic predator. The first experiment used native [bladder snail (Physella sp.) liver elimia (Elimia livescens), and fingernail clam (Sphaerium sp.)] and non-native [zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), and Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis)] mollusks in trials with a single prey type and a range of prey size relative to black carp mouth gape. In addition, the relative effectiveness of zebra mussel attachment to provided hard substrates as an antipredator strategy was tested by comparing predation in treatments with attached and unattached zebra mussels. Bladder snails were vulnerable across all tested sizes, zebra mussel attachment reduced vulnerability, and interspecific differences in size-specific vulnerability were associated with shell thickness and shape. In the second experiment, prey electivity, attack rates, capture efficiency, and consumption rates were compared between juvenile black carp and juvenile blue catfish foraging on a mixed community of five of the six mollusks tested in the previous experiment, excluding zebra mussels. Juvenile black carp attacked and consumed more mollusks than juvenile blue catfish, indicating that this non-native predator may exert larger predation pressure during its juvenile life stage than native predators. Juvenile black carp had positive electivity for both native and non-native taxa, while juvenile blue catfish only consumed native bladder snails. Black carp had negative electivity for thick-shelled Asian clams and tightly coiled liver elimia. These experimental results provide a basis for using shell morphology to predict which mollusks will be vulnerable to predation by juvenile black carp, as well as the potential effects of black carp on mollusk community relative abundance, non-native mollusk invasion dynamics, and densities of grazers and filter feeders with the Mississippi River Basin. The impacts of black carp predation can potentially have far-reaching ecosystem effects associated with the decline of mollusk densities.

Graduation Semester

2023-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120336

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 Andrew Runyon

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