Filtration and respiration responses of mussels (Mytilus edulis) to
trematode parasite infections (Renicola roscovita) and transient heat
exposure
Abstract
As a foundation species in shallow-water ecosystems, the mussel Mytilus
edulis exposed to abiotic and biotic stressors. In particular, heat
stress can have detrimental effects on mussel performance and biotic
interactions with parasites may exacerbate those effects. This study
explores the metabolic responses of mussels to infections with the
trematode Renicola roscovita, under mild and transient heat exposures.
Using controlled laboratory infections, a first experiment investigated
the responses of infected and uninfected small mussels (2 cm), to a
24-hour exposure to a mild temperature followed by an acute heat ramp
and subsequent cooling. The results indicated that trematode infections
reduced mussel filtration by, on average, 13%, and that infections
exacerbated the impact of the transient heat exposure, as indicated by a
larger difference (33%) between infected and uninfected mussels in the
post-heat recovery phase. However, these differences were statistically
not significant, owing to generally large variation among mussels and
low sample sizes. In a second experiment, we further investigated how
mussel size (2 and 4 cm) affected infection impacts on mussel
performance under constant exposure to a mild temperature. We found that
infections reduced mussel filtration at similar rates (11% and 12% for
small and large mussels, respectively) compared to the first experiment,
albeit statistically significant only for large mussels. In both
experiments, no discernible impact on the mussel respiration rate was
found. Interestingly, we found positive relationships between mussel
filtration capacity and infection intensity, suggesting that mussel
phenotypes with generally higher filtration capacity may be more prone
to infections. Overall, our results suggest that R. roscovita
metacercariae infections can lower the ability of hosts to sustain
optimal energy supply, which in turn may exacerbate the negative effects
of heat stress. The role of mussel phenotypic variation in filtration
capacity in driving infection levels and subsequent effects warrants
further investigation.