Effect of Reduced Salinity on Feeding Rates of Haminoea vesicula

Abstract

Fluctuations in salinity are a characteristic feature of many nearshore marine ecosystems. In regions subject to seasonally extreme freshwater input, such as the Salish Sea, recruitment depends in part upon the ability of planktotrophic larvae to continue growth, feeding and survival during episodes of severely reduced salinity. Previous work has demonstrated a decline in feeding rate for bivalve and gastropod veligers at experimentally reduced salinities. These studies were not conducted through the lens of an environment that experiences wide ranges in salinity, such as the Salish Sea. We tested the effect of reduced salinities on veligers of the cephalaspid gastropod Haminoea vesicula, a grazer of epiphytes on eelgrass and soft sediments, by quantifying feeding rates in the laboratory. Feeding rates were not able to be calculated due to issues with data collection. Future research into the impact of reduced salinities on gastropod veliger larvae, especially opisthobranch gastropods, is necessary to understand the complex role salinity could play in larval development and feeding.