The functional role of native freshwater mussels in the fluvial benthic environment

1. Freshwater mussels are the dominant consumer biomass in many fluvial systems. As filter feeding grazers, mussels can remove large amounts of particulate matter from the water column and transfer these resources to the substrate as biodeposits (agglutinated mussel faeces and pseudofaeces). Mussel biodeposits are a nutrient rich and easily assimilated food source and therefore may have significant relevance to benthic community structure. This study examines the functional role of Margaritifera falcata in the South Fork Eel River, California. 2. We addressed two main questions: (i) Do mussels increase benthic resources in this system? (ii) If so, does this alter macroinvertebrate community structure? 3. Measurements and enclosure experiments in the South Fork Eel River show that mussels can play a significant role in local food webs by increasing available fine particulate matter (both organic and inorganic) on the substrate. We document increased benthic macroinvertebrate biomass for predators and collectors (Leptophlebidae) in the presence of mussels, but only in late summer.