DOI: 10.5061/dryad.44j0zpcvf
title: Data from: A habitat and a parasite: Adult and larval parasitic freshwater mussels impact habitat choice and predator-prey interactions of a host fish and its prey

description: Parasitic freshwater mussels are endangered ecosystem engineers with an
 array of impacts on multiple trophic levels and life stages. While the
 impacts of adult mussels on separate trophic levels have been studied, few
 have directly tested how adult mussels can impact trophic interactions or
 investigated the impacts of the parasitic mussel larvae (glochidia) on
 such interactions. We present a lab study which mimics two stream
 substrates for the endangered thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus):
 one dominated by gravel and one by cobbles. Firstly, the preference of a
 gammarid (Gammarus pulex) for mussel-dominated habitats was tested in the
 presence/absence of chemical cues from the predator bullhead (Cottus
 gobio). Secondly, the preference of bullhead for mussel-dominated habitats
 was tested with or without glochidia infestation. Thirdly, the effect of
 infestation on bullhead predation on gammarids was assessed in the
 presence of adult mussels. Gammarids only significantly preferred mussel
 habitats in the absence of predator cues, whereas infested bullhead tended
 to prefer mussel habitats in cobble substrates. The presence of adult
 mussels only significantly reduced bullhead predation on gammarids in the
 gravel habitat, whereas infestation did not affect bullhead predation.
 Despite gammarids not preferring mussel habitat in the presence of
 predator cues, mussel beds represent valuable habitat to gammarids as
 mussel presence can facilitate a reduction of predation by bullhead.
 Infestation did not affect the rate of bullhead predation on gammarids but
 did attract bullhead to mussel habitat in cobble substrates. Our results
 suggest that mussel beds may be valuable habitat for both their host fish
 and the prey of their hosts, attracting both and increasing predator-prey
 interactions. This study highlights the cross-trophic mechanisms by which
 multiple life stages of parasitic mussels can impact the interactions of
 their surrounding benthic community, underscoring their importance as
 ecosystem engineers.
description: # Data from: A habitat and a parasite: Adult and larval parasitic
 freshwater mussels impact habitat choice and predator-prey interactions of
 a host fish and its prey Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.44j0zpcvf](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.44j0zpcvf) ##
 Description of the data and file structure This file contains data for
 three experiments presented in the paper "A habitat and a parasite:
 Adult and larval parasitic freshwater mussels impact habitat choice and
 predator-prey interactions of a host fish and its prey" by Rock *et
 al.,* 2025 ### Files and variables #### File: AT-E_E-S1_rawdata.xlsx
 **Description:**  Under the tab "Gammarus hab pref" data for the
 gammarid experiment is presented with the following headings: #####
 Variables * Date = date of trial start Day = day of trial Tank = tankID
 Sub = experimental substrate (0 = small; 1 = large) Predator = predator
 presence (0 = no predator; 1 = predator) totG recap = Total gammarids
 recaptured GM1 1 = gammarids found with mussels GM0 = gammarids found
 without mussels Prop (1/tot) = proportion of GM1/totG PropT10 =** Prop
 (1/tot)*10 Prop (0/1) = GM0/GM1 * Under the tab "bullhead hab
 pref" data for the bullhead experiment is presented with the
 following headings: * Date = date of trial start Day = day of trial Tank =
 tankID Sub = experimental substrate (0 = small; 1 = large) Infested =
 glochidia present (0 = no; 1 = yes) FM1 = bullhead found with mussels FM0
 = bullhead found without mussels Prop (1/0) = GM1/GM0 Prop (0/1) = GM0/GM1
 Prop (1/tot) = FM1/4 FL 1, mm = length first bullhead FL 2, mm = length
 second bullhead FL 3, mm = length third bullhead FL 4, mm = length fourth
 bullhead Infestation fish 1 = glochidia on first bullhead Infestation fish
 2 = glochidia on second bullhead Infestation fish 3 = glochidia on third
 bullhead Infestation fish 4 = glochidia on fourth bullhead * Under the tab
 "predation" data for the predation experiment is presented with
 the following headings:\ \ Date = date of trial start Day = day of trial
 Tank = tankID Substrate = experimental substrate (S = small; B = large)
 Sub = experimental substrate (0 = small; 1 = large) Infested = glochidia
 present (0 = no; 1 = yes) Mussel = mussel present (0 = no; 1 = yes)
 Gammarus count = gammarids remaining after predation FL 1, mm = length
 first bullhead FL 2, mm = length second bullhead FL 3, mm = length third
 bullhead FL 4, mm = length fourth bullhead Infestation fish 1 = glochidia
 on first bullhead Infestation fish 2 = glochidia on second bullhead
 Infestation fish 3 = glochidia on third bullhead Infestation fish 4 =
 glochidia on fourth bullhead