Freshwater snail feeding behavior response to algae grown in excess

Abstract

Nutrient pollution to Earth's freshwater resources is becoming an increasingly important issue that has the potential to impact many ecological communities. Our aim was to understand how the feeding behavior of two species of freshwater snail, Physa acuta and Planorbella campulunata, is affected by algae grown in increased nutrient levels. Using river water diverted from Maple River in Pellston, Michigan (USA), we grew algae in three different nutrient levels and studied how snails responded to these different diet choices. We found that both species of freshwater snail preferred feeding on algae grown in higher nutrient levels and that competition for the high-nutrient algae occurs between these two species when inhabiting the same area. Our results suggest that anthropogenic nutrient inputs may have substantial impacts on the feeding behaviors of species living in those nutrient polluted environments.