Abstract
Assessing the probable distribution of the potentially invasive Chinese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina chinensis, in Nova Scotia using a random forest model approach
Highlights
The Chinese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina (= Bellamya) chinensis (Gray, 1834), is a non-native, freshwater, gastropod native to Eastern Asia
Lack of model ability to make predictions for New Brunswick (NB) or Prince Edward Island (PEI), may be because parameters measured in these provinces did not adequately match parameters used to train the model in terms of data availability, or perhaps due to small sample size
Further research is needed to define the ecological thresholds of C. chinensis and to identify the manner in which human factors influence the distribution of this species across its non-native range
Summary
The Chinese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina (= Bellamya) chinensis (Gray, 1834), is a non-native, freshwater, gastropod native to Eastern Asia. Cipangopaludina chinensis reported occurrences in continental North America suggest that this species is far more widespread than currently documented. C. chinensis presence may lead to blocked water pipes, fouled beaches, altered nitrogen: phosphorus ratios which can elevate eutrophication, and altered food webs through changes in bacterial community composition (Chao et al 1993; Collas et al 2017b; Cui et al 2012; Fang et al 2001; Hanstein 2012; Harried et al 2015; Xing et al 2016). Being more resistant to predation than native molluscs due to large size and the presence of a protective operculum “trapdoor” (Haak 2015; Johnson et al 2009; Karatayev et al 2009; Olden et al 2013; Plinski et al 1978; Sura and Mahon 2011), C. chinensis can become established rapidly within new water bodies. There is recognition in some provinces that C. chinensis introduction to Canada should be of concern, the species has not been identified by federal agencies as potentially invasive across the country, due to lack of published data for Canada (McAlpine et al 2016; Schroeder et al 2014)
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