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Long-term maintenance requirements of the riparian isopod, Lirceus sp.

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Abstract

Riparian isopods possess many traits that make them ideal candidates for a wide range of ecological and evolutionary studies, but they are under-utilized because long-term maintenance under laboratory conditions has been largely unsuccessful. We explored a variety of experimental conditions to determine those necessary to maintain captive populations. Our studies demonstrated that starting colonies with water from the natal stream, filtering the water in a way that causes agitation at the surface of the water, maintaining colonies in full-spectrum light at room temperature or colder, lining the bottom of containers with a coarse benthos, and providing a leaf pack that contains Norway maple leaves are important criteria for successful maintenance of individuals of Lirceus sp. colonies for periods of over 6 weeks in the laboratory. Water changes do not require addition of water from the natal stream, whether the containers are glass or plastic is inconsequential, aeration does not need to be high-powered, and refrigeration of colonies is not necessary for this species of riparian isopod. We expect identifying the minimum husbandry needs will facilitate research using these organisms.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Allentown Parks and Recreation for site access and permission to sample in Cedar Creek. We thank Douglas Glazier, Frank Kuserk, Timothy Sparkes, and Terry Short for conversations about maintenance of laboratory cultures of isopods, various members of the Iyengar laboratory for early observations of animal behavior in captivity (Spencer Bigelow, Rachel Gonsenhauser, Kerry McGowan, Cyrus Sholevar, Kassandra Tessitore, Elizabeth Thompson, and Erica Wenzel), and Diane Dologite and Colin Kuntz of Muhlenberg College for assistance with laboratory equipment. We thank Muhlenberg College for funding and the space to conduct these experiments.

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  1. Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA, 18104, USA

    Erika V. Iyengar, Chad I. Schwartz & Allison T. Davidson

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  1. Erika V. Iyengar
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  2. Chad I. Schwartz
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  3. Allison T. Davidson
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Correspondence to Erika V. Iyengar.

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Handling editor: Marcelo S. Moretti

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Iyengar, E.V., Schwartz, C.I. & Davidson, A.T. Long-term maintenance requirements of the riparian isopod, Lirceus sp.. Hydrobiologia 802, 53–69 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3239-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3239-7

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