Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part B, Biochemistry & molecular biologyOct 18, 2026

Biomarker patterns that change with size in zebra mussels and what they mean for monitoring freshwater health

Longevity & Aging Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Oct 19, 2026

Abstract

Biochemical biomarker profiles varied significantly across five size classes of zebra mussels during the pre-spawning period.

Distinct physiological strategies were observed between juvenile and adult zebra mussels based on size class during pre-spawning.
Size class differentiation in biochemical markers was reduced during the post-spawning period.
Body mass patterns diverged among size classes before spawning but were less differentiated after gamete release.
A significant interaction between size class and sampling period was identified for six of the eleven biomarkers analyzed.
The findings suggest that size-age relationships should be considered in biomonitoring studies for accurate biological interpretations.

Simplified

In freshwater biomonitoring, the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha is commonly used as a sentinel organism, with individuals usually standardised by shell length as a proxy for age to limit inter-individual variability. However, the relationship between shell length and estimated biological age can vary both within and across populations. This raises questions about the biological relevance of size-based standardisation and the comparability of data across studies using different size ranges. The present study examined how a battery of biochemical biomarkers, covering energy metabolism, antioxidant and detoxification defences, and cellular damage, varied across five defined size classes distributed along juvenile and adult life stages, sampled during a pre-spawning and a post-spawning period. Biochemical biomarker profiles were differentiated across size classes during the pre-spawning period, consistent with distinct physiological strategies between juveniles and adults, whilst discrimination was reduced during the post-spawning. These results were consistent with body mass patterns, which diverged among classes during pre-spawning but were less differentiated following gamete release. Biomarker profiles thus differed across size classes and sampling period, with a significant interaction between size class and sampling period detected for six of the eleven biomarkers analyzed, highlighting the importance of accounting for the size-age relationship in biomonitoring studies to achieve a biologically realistic interpretation of results.

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Biomarker patterns that change with size in zebra mussels and what they mean for monitoring freshwater health

Abstract

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