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Infestation of the invasive mollusc Crepidula fornicata by the native shell borer Cliona celata: a case of high parasite load without detrimental effects

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Abstract

The temporal prevalence of the widespread boring sponge Cliona celata and its effects were analysed in a population of the invasive mollusc Crepidula fornicata. This mollusc produces extra shell material when infested with the endolithic sponge, suggesting that infestation may be detrimental for C. fornicata growth and/or reproduction. For 37 months, size, sex, female reproductive status and sponge-infestation stage were recorded for 300 individuals sampled every month in the Bay of Morlaix (France). In the 12,049 individuals examined, the prevalence of C. celata was high with a monthly average of 43.1% of the individuals hosting the sponge. The relative proportion of heavily infested individuals generally increased over time. Nevertheless, a cyclic decrease occurred every 10 months, suggesting putative episodes of mortality of heavily infested individuals. The gregarious behaviour of the mollusc seemed to promote the high prevalence of the sponge, which may propagate through contact between neighbouring C. fornicata individuals. Due to the sex-size relationship in protandrous C. fornicata, females were far more infested than males. We did not find evidence for a cost of producing extra shell material on somatic growth or on female fertility, and the boring sponge is unlikely to substantially affect the sex-change patterns in C. fornicata. The limited effects of the endolithic sponge on C. fornicata contrasts with the documented damage to some local species, including commercially exploited shellfish, suggesting that C. fornicata may alter the infestation dynamics in the surrounding native community. Dedicated studies are now needed to investigate the extent and mechanisms of these species interactions.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the scuba divers of the “Service Mer et Observation” [Marine Operations Department] (FR2424) at the Station Biologique de Roscoff, for carrying out all the samplings. We thank Myriam Mylbergue for help in gathering part of this dataset and Rachel Collin for valuable comments and stimulating discussion on a previous version of the manuscript. We are also thankful to Abigail Cahill and Pedro Morais for editing the manuscript and to two anonymous reviewers for their fruitful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. F. V and S. L. C are the beneficiaries of a financial contribution from the AXA Research Fund (“Marine Aliens and Climate Change” project) and the INTERREG programme (“MARINEXUS” project). This work is part of S. L. C’s PhD thesis and S. L. C benefited from a grant by the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche [French Ministry of Higher Education and Research].

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  1. Sabrina Le Cam

    Present address: UMR Ecologie et Santé des Ecosystèmes INRA–Agrocampus 65 Rue de Saint Brieuc CS 84215, 35042, Rennes cedex, France

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  1. Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, UMR 7144, Equipe Div&Co, Adaptation & Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682, Roscoff, France

    Sabrina Le Cam & Frédérique Viard

  2. CNRS, UMR 7144, Adaptation & Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique, 29682, Roscoff, France

    Sabrina Le Cam & Frédérique Viard

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  1. Sabrina Le Cam
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Correspondence to Sabrina Le Cam or Frédérique Viard.

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Le Cam, S., Viard, F. Infestation of the invasive mollusc Crepidula fornicata by the native shell borer Cliona celata: a case of high parasite load without detrimental effects. Biol Invasions 13, 1087–1098 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-011-9958-1

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