| The identification of host fishes, elucidation of population dynamics, and determination of potential sites for reintroduction and augmentation of Species at Risk (SAR) unionid mussels are important goals of current recovery strategies. Host fishes were identified or confirmed for Epioblasma torulosa rangiana, Epioblasma triquetra, Lampsilis fasciola, Obovaria subrotunda, Ptychobranchus fasciolaris and Villosa fablis. Importantly, the absence of a host fish for E. t. rangiana may help to explain its SAR status. Results indicated that there are systematic relationships among mussels and their host fish, that juvenile production rates differ among host fishes, and that there are site specific differences in the abundance estimates (range: 3-10974 individuals), sex ratios, proportion of gravid females (10-40%), and growth rates (0.2-0.4 cm/year) for the mussel SAR in the Sydenham River. This information is vital for understanding the biology of these organisms and in facilitating their recovery. |
