Abstract
Light affects bivalve behavior and gaping activity, but its potential effects on bivalve filtration remain poorly investigated. In this study, clearance rates of two bivalve species: the Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea and the paper pondshell, Utterbackia imbecillis, were assessed in light (6.5 ± 0.5 µmol m−2 s−1) and dark (0.0 µmol m−2 s−1) conditions. We found that clearance rates remained similar between C. fluminea (50 ± 18 mL g−1 h−1) and U. imbecillis (41 ± 10 mL g−1 h−1) during light conditions. However, C. fluminea (110 ± 15 mL g−1 h−1) filtered significantly faster than U. imbecillis (24 ± 6 mL g−1 h−1) in the dark condition (p < 0.05). The results indicated that light might affect the filtration activity in freshwater bivalves differently, depending on species.
