Effects of the invasive species Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) on Campeloma decisum in Douglas Lake, Michigan

Abstract

Many aspects of survivorship of the Brown Mystery Snail were analyzed in this study. Data on this snail species has been collected since 2000, which allowed us to compare the characteristics of snails before and after the infestation of zebra mussels. The principal question in this study was whether the invasion of zebra mussels has had an impact on the survivorship of Campeloma. Secondly, this study asks whether zebra mussels caused a change in the morphological characteristics. There has been evidence that thicker snails with a relatively large shell aperture have a higher survivorship of Campeloma (Vermeij 1980). We hypothesize that there will be a correlation between living snails and relatively thick snails with large apertures. We also hypothesize that zebra mussels will have a negative impact on the survivorship of Campeloma.