Studies of heat tolerance of zebra mussels: Effects of temperature acclimation and chronic exposure to lethal temperatures. Final report

Technical Report · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:107848

McMahon, R F; Matthews, M A; Ussery, T A; Chase, R; Clarke, M

Chronic (i.e., long-term incipient) upper lethal temperatures were determined for zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) acclimated to 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 degress C for at least 14 days. Subsamples (n=25-33) from each acclimation group were exposed to constant temperatures of 31, 32,33, 34, 35, 36, or 37 degrees C (+ or - 0.1 C). Mussels were brought from acclimation temperature to test temperature by increasing media temperature at a rate of 1 C/10 min. After reaching the test temperature, mortality was determined every 15 min for the first 2 hr, every 30 min for the next 3 to 5 hr, and every hr for the next 17 to 21 hr and every 3 to 4 hr thereafter until all individuals had died. Multiple regression analysis indicated that acclimation temperature, exposure temperature, and mussel shell length (SL) were significantly correlated (P<0.00001) with the natural log of thermal tolerance time. Tolerance time increased with increasing acclimation temperature and decreasing SL and decreased with increased exposure temperature. LT(50) values (i.e., estimated time for 50-percent sample mortality) ranged from 1 hr at 37 degrees C regardless of acclimation temperature to 456 hr in 25 degrees C-acclimated individuals at 31 degree C.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Arlington, TX (United States). Dept. of Biology
• OSTI ID: 107848
• Report Number(s): AD-A--293200/2/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MUSSELS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THERMAL STRESSES