Hypereutrophic conditions limit the removal of suspended particulate matter by the invasive bivalve Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Conrad, 1831) (Dreissenidae)

Nutrient removal and water transparency are ecosystem services often related to bivalves, that also provide other regulating services, provisioning, habitat, and supporting. Eutrophication is one of the main impacts on coastal ecosystems and its negative effects highlighted the bivalve application as a solution to water improvement. Our study aimed to experimentally evaluate the ability of the bivalve Mytilopsis leucophaeata to clear and ingest suspended particulate matter (SPM) in hypereutrophic conditions. Our hypothesis was that this invasive bivalve increases its clearance and ingestion rates in hypereutrophic conditions acting on particles removal from water column and water quality improvement in tropical lagoons. Mytilopsis leucophaeata was able to significantly remove SPM from seston in hypereutrophic conditions. However, higher SPM concentrations negatively affected its feeding rates, suggesting species limitation to act in remediation of hypereutrophic introduced systems. The hypothesis was partially supported since bivalves adjusted feeding rates but, after a certain SPM concentration, their rates were negatively affected. All caution is necessary to avoid new introductions of M. leucophaeata and concern must be devoted considering its application for bioremediation purposes in introduced systems since the magnitude of impacts on ecosystem functioning, as consequence of its biological processes, is still unknown.