Host Fish Species for Glochidia of the Freshwater Unionid Mussel Buldowskia iwakawai in Aquarium Tanks

Abstract

Host species for the glochidia of the freshwater unionid mussel Buldowskia iwakawai (Suzuki, 1939) from Hokkaido were identified by determining whether the glochidia infected seventeen fish taxa in winter. The fishes were kept in tanks for 11–15 days after glochidial infection, and the number of glochidia and metamorphosed juveniles detached from the hosts were counted. Living juveniles of B. iwakawai detached from Opsariichthys platypus, Candidia temminckii, Pseudaspius hakonensis, Phoximus lagowskii steindachneri, Lefua echigonia, Poecilia reticulata, Eleotris oxycephala, Odontobutis obscura, Tridentiger brevispinis, Rhinogobius nagoyae and Rhinogobius similis. Therefore, these eleven fishes were identified as suitable host species for the glochidia of B. iwakawai.