Effect of pH, ethanol concentration, and temperature on detection of quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) birefringence

Management of Biological Invasions

关键词: dreissenid mussels;    preservation;    birefringence;    detection;    monitoring;    cross-polarized microscopy;    calcium carbonate shell;   

DOI  :  http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2013.4.2.06

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In the western United States, federal, state, and local agencies have engaged in extensive efforts to detect the presence of larval dreissenid mussels (veligers) in water bodies before such a presence becomes a full-scale infestation. Cross-polarized light microscopy (CPLM) is commonly used to detect the veliger’s specific birefringence pattern, but the effect of sample preservation on dreissenid birefringence has not yet been determined. This study examined the effects of solution pH, ethanol concentration, and storage temperature on veliger birefringence loss. Birefringence loss was determined by examining veligers under CPLM at regular intervals over a 30 day period. Veliger birefringence loss was below five percent in all basic solutions, regardless of holding temperature or ethanol concentration. Veliger birefringence loss was also below five percent in acidic solutions that were refrigerated or contained 50–70 percent ethanol. Veligers in acidic solutions that were held at 25°C and 34°C with 0–25 percent ethanol had 7–25 percent veliger birefringence loss over a 30 day period. While ethanol addition and refrigeration are both important preservation methods, the results of this study indicate that samples collected for dreissenid veliger detection by CPLM must also be maintained at a basic pH in order to preserve veliger shell integrity and birefringence. Determining the best conditions for long-term preservation of veliger shells requires further investigation, and these results should not be assumed best for analyses other than CPLM.

【 授权许可】

Unknown