Determining the Laboratory Conditions Best Suited for Reproduction of Bithynia Tentaculata
Location
CSU Ballroom
Start Date
28-4-2009 10:00 AM
End Date
28-4-2009 12:00 PM
Student's Major
Biological Sciences
Student's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Mentor's Name
Robert Sorensen
Mentor's Department
Biological Sciences
Mentor's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Description
Bithynia tentaculata is an exotic, aquatic gastropod that is related to the bird mortality on the Upper Mississippi River. This snail is known to serve as both a first- and second-intermediate host of the parasitic trematodes, Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema globulus. Since the snails play a role in the transmission on the trematodes it is important to understand the life-history of these snails and consider how the life history of these snails could impact their interactions with these parasites. Few studies have looked at the relationship between environmental conditions and the snails' life-history characteristics. The goal of this project is to determine how temperature, nutrient availability and substrate conditions affect snail growth, survival and reproduction. Tank temperature was held relatively constant at 20°-22°C. Algae was added at the beginning of the experiment as a form of nutrient. Nutrafin Tropical Fish Flakes were also added to each tank weekly. The experiment has been ongoing for 3.5 months. The data that is being collected is snail mortality, reproduction (number of egg sacks observed), and growth (number of new baby snails). We have found that the treatment, which contained rocks from the snails' original location, was unsuccessful. In this treatment all the snails died from an apparent infestation of zebra mussel larva. Results also showed that 98% of the initial snails still remain alive and are reproducing. Egg sacks have appeared in 50% of the replicates for each of the treatments, including the discontinued rock treatment.
Determining the Laboratory Conditions Best Suited for Reproduction of Bithynia Tentaculata
CSU Ballroom
Bithynia tentaculata is an exotic, aquatic gastropod that is related to the bird mortality on the Upper Mississippi River. This snail is known to serve as both a first- and second-intermediate host of the parasitic trematodes, Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema globulus. Since the snails play a role in the transmission on the trematodes it is important to understand the life-history of these snails and consider how the life history of these snails could impact their interactions with these parasites. Few studies have looked at the relationship between environmental conditions and the snails' life-history characteristics. The goal of this project is to determine how temperature, nutrient availability and substrate conditions affect snail growth, survival and reproduction. Tank temperature was held relatively constant at 20°-22°C. Algae was added at the beginning of the experiment as a form of nutrient. Nutrafin Tropical Fish Flakes were also added to each tank weekly. The experiment has been ongoing for 3.5 months. The data that is being collected is snail mortality, reproduction (number of egg sacks observed), and growth (number of new baby snails). We have found that the treatment, which contained rocks from the snails' original location, was unsuccessful. In this treatment all the snails died from an apparent infestation of zebra mussel larva. Results also showed that 98% of the initial snails still remain alive and are reproducing. Egg sacks have appeared in 50% of the replicates for each of the treatments, including the discontinued rock treatment.
Recommended Citation
Balano, Marie. "Determining the Laboratory Conditions Best Suited for Reproduction of Bithynia Tentaculata." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 28, 2009.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2009/poster-session-C/15
