Differences in substratum preferences and behaviour within the invasive Corbicula species complex

Clams from the Corbicula species complex of Asian origin are invasive all over the world, currently extending their distribution to waters of the natural thermal regime in Central European areas. Features linking the clams to their habitats in newly invaded areas have not been fully examined. These include substratum preferences and mobility, which may be key to determining potential niche overlap with native bivalves and gaining a better knowledge of their potential active dispersal and impact. Therefore, our aim was to determine the substratum preferences, horizontal locomotion and burrowing behaviour of three Corbicula morphospecies from Poland, Central Europe: two populations of undetermined Corbicula sp. from an artificially heated habitat and water of the natural thermal regime (cold water), as well as Corbicula leana, and Corbicula fluminea (from artificially heated and cold water, respectively). To determine the preferred substratum range, we used pairwise choice tests with a range of muddy, sandy, and gravelly substrata, as well as zebra mussel shells. Then, we conducted behavioural observations (locomotion and burrowing) by CCTV cameras on substrata found as preferred and non-preferred by clams. All morphospecies preferred fine-grained over coarser substrata. C. fluminea from cold water had the widest range of substratum preferences. By contrast, C. leana from artificially heated water and Corbicula sp. from cold water showed the narrowest substratum preferences and spent the longest time deeply burrowed. The longest duration of burrowing activity was noted on non-preferred coarser substrata, which may indicate difficulties in burrowing. On non-preferred coarse substrata, C. fluminea (cold water) crawled more than the other morphospecies. Our results show that sediment preferences and behaviour (burrowing and locomotion) differ among various Corbicula morphospecies in Europe, probably also varying their invasive potential. This knowledge is important for determining the overlap of habitat preferences of non-native Corbicula clams with native bivalves, which is critical for determining potential competition strength, impact, and/or displacement. Our results also indicate that habitats with fine sediments could be more threatened by Corbicula invasions.

Automated summary

Clams of the Corbicula species complex from Asia have become invasive worldwide and are now spreading to Central European waters. This study examined the substrate preferences and behavior of three Corbicula morphospecies from Poland to understand their potential impacts and ecological adaptations. The results showed that different Corbicula species have distinct substrate preferences and behaviors, which may affect their invasive potential. Understanding the overlap of preferred habitats between non-native Corbicula clams and native bivalves is crucial for determining their potential competition strength, impact, and displacement.