Preference for environmental variables by three species of freshwater clams, Anodonta grandis, Lampsilis siliquoidea, and Ligumia nasuta: laboratory experiments.

Abstract

This study investigated clam preference in response to specific environmental conditions within a laboratory setting. Three species of freshwater clams were sampled from Douglas Lake, South Fishtail Bay: Anodonta grandis, Lampsilis siliquoidea, and Ligumia nasuta. The clams were exposed to five different experimental conditions involving slope of sediment, light and dark, sediment depth, organic matter, and different sediment types. Our overall hypothesis was that the clams would significantly move toward one experimental condition within each of the five experiments. Our statistical analysis found significance for A. grandis and L. nasuta in the sediment depth experiment and L. siliquoidea in the light/dark experiment. In all other instances the data did not yield statistically significant results. Despite these findings certain trends were observed and suggestions for further research have been discussed.