Gametogenesis and Spawning of the Ribbed Mussel (Geukensia demissa) near the Northern Limit of its Range (Maritime Canada)

Ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) help form the basis of highly productive salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of North America, in southern New England, and further south. Little is known about their ecology and reproductive biology at more northern latitudes (Maritime Canada; >43° N). As a step in determining the sustainability of ribbed mussel populations near the northern limit of their range (Northumberland Strait, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada), gametogenesis and spawning were monitored over 3 years (May-August 2012, June-November 2014, and April-October 2015) at four sites spanning ~100 km of coastline. These sites are typically ice-covered from mid-December to March or April. The onset of gametogenesis was later, the reproductive stages on any given date were more varied, and the reproductive season was shorter than for southern populations of ribbed mussels. Oocyte density and size did not vary among sites, indicating similar site-level processes, but did vary among years. Oocyte density and size varied greatly among mussels at a given site, and within a single gonad. This highlights the importance of individual variability, perhaps related to mussel location within a marsh, and the effects of nutrients and temperature on gonads. Accounting for the individual-level variability, reproductive output was estimated at ~10⁵ oocytes per ripe female mussel, which is within the fecundity estimates for other marine bivalve broadcast spawners.