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Plasticity of Life-History Traits in Unio crassus

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Ecology and Evolution of the Freshwater Mussels Unionoida

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 145))

Abstract

The notably large variability of the European unionid Unio crassus was well documented by scientists of the last century. Instead of one species, possibly divided into several subspecies or races, they described more than 200 separate species (Roßmäßler and Kobelt 1835). Among populations of Unio crassus, differences in shape, length and weight of shells occur. Also the maximum life span and the growth pattern exhibit considerable plasticity. Sometimes this variability occurs even within the same river. As some of the features in question are life-history traits in the classical sense (Stearns 1992), this variability must have a direct bearing on the survival of mussel populations. This is gaining importance for conservation, since Unio crassus belongs, together with Margaritifera margaritifera, M. auricularia and Pseudanodonta complanata, to the most threatened naiad species in central Europe.

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Authors
  1. Susanne Hochwald
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Biologie I, Universität Freiburg, 79104, Hauptstr. 1, Freiburg, Germany

    Gerhard Bauer

  2. Institut für Zoologie, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, 30559, Bünteweg 17, Hannover, Germany

    Klaus Wächtler

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Hochwald, S. (2001). Plasticity of Life-History Traits in Unio crassus . In: Bauer, G., Wächtler, K. (eds) Ecology and Evolution of the Freshwater Mussels Unionoida. Ecological Studies, vol 145. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56869-5_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56869-5_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-63140-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-56869-5

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