First report of endosymbionts in Dreissena polymorpha from the brackish Curonian Lagoon, SE Baltic Sea*

We report the first results of a parasitological study of Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussels) from the brackish Curonian Lagoon, SE Baltic Sea. Zebra mussels were collected monthly from May to October 2011 from a site near the mouth of the River Nemunas. Three types of endosymbionts were found in the mantle cavity and visceral mass of the molluscs during dissections, i.e. the commensal ciliate Conchophthirus acuminatus and parasitic ciliate Ophryoglena sp., and rarely encountered, unidentified nematodes. The abundances of C. acuminatus and Ophryoglena sp. were positively associated with host shell length and water temperature, but no effect of water salinity was detected. As the endosymbionts are either highly host-specific to zebra mussels (C. acuminatus and Ophryoglena sp.) or are probably free-living organisms that inadvertently infect the molluscs (nematodes), we conclude that the presence of D. polymorpha in the Curonian Lagoon does not pose any serious parasitological risk to native biota. We emphasize, however, that this conclusion should be treated with caution as it is based on a study conducted only at a single location. Our work extends the currently scarce records of D. polymorpha parasites and commensals from brackish waters, and adds to a better understanding of the ecological impact this highly invasive mollusc causes in the areas it has invaded.