Rocky Mountain ridged mussel (Gonidea angulata) management plan: Appendix 3
Appendix 3: Glossary
Ambleminae
subfamily of mussels, most of which have a life stage called glochidia that infect the gills of a host fish in order to complete their life cycle.
anoxia
a water system containing low dissolved oxygen content.
benthic
"the bottom of a river, lake, or ocean where the water meets the surface of the accumulated sediments" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2008).
bivalves
molluscs (mostly aquatic) with two-part symmetrical shells held together along a hinge line.
blue-listed
"Includes any ecological community, and indigenous species and subspecies considered to be of special concern (formerly vulnerable) in British Columbia. Elements are of special concern because of characteristics that make them particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events. Blue-listed elements are at risk, but are not Extirpated, Endangered or Threatened" (B.C. Conservation Data Centre, 2009).
bradytictic
spawning takes place in summer; glochidia overwinter in females and are expelled the following spring.
commensalic
a type of symbiosis where two (or more) organisms from different species live in close proximity to one another, in which one member is unaffected by the relationship and the other benefits from it.
confirmed host fish
laboratory rearing tests have confirmed glochidia of a given mussel species attach, grow, drop off and successfully complete their life cycle using a specific host fish species.
conglutinate
"a number of glochidia bound together with mucus" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2008).
G3
"globally vulnerable; At moderate risk of extinction due to a restricted range, relatively few populations (often 80 or fewer), recent and widespread declines, or other factors" (NatureServe, 2009).
genus
taxonomic grouping containing one or more species
glochidia
"term for freshwater mussel larvae that possess little or no automotive abilities that are ready to be released from the female mussel and usually attach to a vertebrate host for continued life cycle development" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2008).
hypoxia
A water system containing high dissolved oxygen content
littoral
The light zone of the aquatic habitat within the water, where light reaches the bottom
location
"a geographically distinct area where a group of individuals of a species is (or has been) found. The total population of a species may comprise a number of sites. Dispersal between sites is impossible or very rare. A single threatening event can rapidly affect all individuals in a site. Where a taxon is affected by more than one threatening event, location should be defined by considering the most serious plausible threat. (Source: adapted from IUCN 2001)" (COSEWIC, 2009).
microorganisms
Small microscopic organism at the base of many food chains
mucilaginous
moist jelly-like substance/coating that protects against dehydration
nacre
shiny sheet-like shell layers inside of a mollusc shell
native species
"a wild species that occurs in Canada naturally, or that has expanded its range into Canada without human intervention from a region where it naturally occurred, has produced viable populations, and has persisted in Canada for at least 50 years" (COSEWIC, 2008).
parasitic or parasite
an organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism (host) while contributing nothing to the survival of the host
periostracum
thin organic coating or layer on the outside of the shell, is yellowish brown to blackish brown, the outside layer or covering of the shell.
planktonic
"exhibiting movements characteristic of plankton" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2008).
red-listed
"Includes any ecological community, and indigenous species and subspecies that is extirpated, endangered, or threatened in British Columbia. Extirpated elements no longer exist in the wild in British Columbia, but do occur elsewhere. Endangered elements are facing imminent extirpation or extinction. Threatened elements are likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed. Red-listed species and sub-species may be legally designated as, or may be considered candidates for legal designation as Extirpated, Endangered or Threatened under the Wildlife Act (see http://www.env.gov.B.C..ca/wld/faq.htm#2 ). Not all Red-listed taxa will necessarily become formally designated. Placing taxa on these lists flags them as being at risk and requiring investigation" (B.C. Conservation Data Centre, 2009)
S1
"Critically Imperilled; critically imperilled in the nation or state/province because of extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer occurrences) or because of some factor(s) such as very steep declines making it especially vulnerable to extirpation from the state/province" (NatureServe, 2009).
Special concern
a wildlife species that may become a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats (COSEWIC, 2008).
stolon
runners that creep along the lake bed
pseudocardinal
the triangular, often serrated, teeth located on the anterior-dorsal part of the shell. Structures resembling teeth used in some species to hold the shell together.
tachytictic
spawning takes place in spring, and glochidia are expelled during summer
taxonomically
closely related biologically to another species.
umbo
"the inflated dorsal part of the shell; also called the beak" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2008).
unconfirmed
host fish
host fish
host fish that has glochidia embedded within its gills although it is unknown if the glochidia mature and are successful in establishing as adult mussels.
Unionids
"refers to freshwater mussels in the order Unionoida. "Unio" is latin for pearls" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2008).
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