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Ontogenetic morphometrics of individual freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera (L.)) reconstructed from geometric conchology and trigonometric sclerochronology

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Abstract

This study bridges two conchological approaches to model the growth characteristics of freshwater pearl mussel shell: size-at-age and sclerochronology. We demonstrate a simple numerical model that transfers sclerochronological data into realistic estimates of ontogenetic shell sizing. This model was constructed for a subset of shell growth data dealing with morphometrics and annual shell growth increments. Further, validation of the model was performed using a dataset that was withheld from the calibration. Both subsets of data showed significant correlations between the observed (measured by vernier callipers) and reconstructed size-at-age data, indicating a successful model. The practical applicability of the model was exemplified for the studied Finnish freshwater pearl mussel populations. In accordance with the previously set theory about the plasticity of life history traits of the species, the southern mussels showed higher growth rates than the northern mussels.

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Acknowledgements

Technical assistance of Keiko Helama is greatly acknowledged by the corresponding author. Corresponding author would like to thank Jan Kresten Nielsen for discussions and ideas about the bivalve morphometry. We are also grateful to an anonymous referee for comments that considerably improved this manuscript. Figure 1 was aided by Online Map Creation. The work of SH was made possible by postdoctoral scholarships from the foundation of Koneen Säätiö. WWF-Finland has supported the Margaritifera project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Samuli Helama

  2. Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Ilmari Valovirta

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  1. Samuli Helama
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  2. Ilmari Valovirta
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Correspondence to Samuli Helama.

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Handling editor: K. Martens

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Helama, S., Valovirta, I. Ontogenetic morphometrics of individual freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera (L.)) reconstructed from geometric conchology and trigonometric sclerochronology. Hydrobiologia 610, 43–53 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-008-9421-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-008-9421-1

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