Distribution of unionid freshwater mussels depends on the distribution of host fishes on a regional scale
Open accessAbstract
Aim: The successful conservation of endangered mussel communities requires, in part, a thorough understanding of the processes that shape their distribution. Therefore, we tested the prediction that (1) the distribution of host fishes explains a significant amount of variation in mussel community composition. In addition, because mussel distribution also depends on spatial processes and environmental variables, we predicted that (2) the distribution and community composition of mussels in Ontario varies across eight contiguous watersheds, flowing into three different basins of the Great Lakes (Huron, St. Clair and Erie); and (3) environmental variables also explain part of the mussel distribution. Location: Watersheds in south‐western Ontario, North America, Great Lakes Region. Methods: Existing data on the distribution of mussels and fishes, and environmental and spatial information were compiled. Variation partitioning with redundancy analysis was used to examine what proportion of the variation in mussels' community composition was explained by watershed (as a spatial component), environmental differences and host fish presence. Redundancy analysis for mussel abundances was used to illustrate the similarities in the distributions of mussels and fishes, and the association of differences in community composition of mussels among watersheds with certain mussel species and environmental variables. Results: Host fish presence explained 44%, watershed identity 28% and environmental factors 23% of the variation in mussel species composition. However, much of the explained variation was shared among these components, and all three components together explained 55% of the total variation in species composition. Even after statistically eliminating the other explanatory variables, host fish distribution was the most important group of predictor variables, although we used a subset of relevant environmental variables because of the scale of the study. Main conclusions: Our results highlight the important role played by host fishes in shaping current distributions of freshwater mussels and underscore the necessity of incorporating these relationships in conservation efforts and management actions.
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The number of fish species in a watershed or at the site scale predicts mussel species richness.
“Indeed, previous work has found that the number of fish species in a watershed or at the site scale predicts mussel species richness (Dascher et al., 2018;Schwalb et al., 2013;Vaughn & Taylor, 2000;Watters, 1992).”
From Environmental gradients drive convergence in life history strategies among disparate but coevolved taxonomic groups (2025) · cites this paper as Schwalb et al., 2013
The Results (page not available in our copy) show that host-fish presence explained variation in mussel species composition across watersheds. The Introduction reports that fish richness was an important factor in a previous study of mussel community structure. Neither passage establishes that the number of fish species predicts mussel species richness at the watershed or site scale. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredFish assemblage structure can influence mussel assemblage structure and abundance.
“Because of this host-parasite relationship, fish assemblage structure can influence mussel assemblage structure and abundance (Schwalb et al., 2013;Vaughn & Taylor, 2000;Watters, 1992).”
From Environmental gradients drive convergence in life history strategies among disparate but coevolved taxonomic groups (2025) · cites this paper as Schwalb et al., 2013
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Research works printed but not linked: 20
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Atkinson, C. L., Franzen, A. J., Hopper, G. W., Lopez, J. W., Zbinden, Z. D., & Vaughn, C. C. (2025) · Ecology · doi:10.1002/ecy.70273 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
- Authors
- Schwalb, A. N., Morris, T. J., Mandrak, N. E., & Cottenie, K.
- Affiliations
- University of Waterloo (CA)
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA)
- University of Guelph (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Schwalb, Astrid N.
- Venue
- Diversity and Distributions
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-07-24
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 446-454
- ISSN
- 0967-9952 (ISSN-L)
- 1366-9516
- 1472-4642
- OpenAlex
- W1969703553
- Cited by
- 66
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 2.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Diversity and Distributions (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ministry of Natural Resources
- Rural Development Administration
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Keywords
- fish hosts, species distribution, environmental drivers, Great Lakes watershed, Ontario
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