Golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) distribution in the main hydrographical basins of Uruguay: update and predictions

Ernesto Brugnoli,Lucía Boccardi,Fabrizio Scarabino,Ana Borthagaray,Juan Clemente

doi:10.1590/s0001-37652005000200004

Abstract

Limnoperna fortunei, an Asiatic rivers bivalve has become a worldwide problematic invasive species causing several water quality and macrofouling problems. In the Neotropical region it was first recorded in 1991 in the Rio de la Plata coast, Buenos Aires province. Since this, it showed a quick upstream invasion into the principals aquatic systems of the Plata Basin. Nevertheless, there is not a study about its invasion and distribution process in aquatic systems of Uruguay. We describe the new records of Limnoperna fortunei in Uruguayan coast of Rio de la Plata, Santa Lucia, Negro and Uruguay Rivers. With these results we aim to estimate its distributional limits for Uruguay main hydrographical basins. We also deal with the role of salinity as the main abiotic factor in limiting the east distribution of this mussel in Uruguayan coast of Rio de la Plata and as a potential determinant of the "new" colonization on the Atlantic and the Merin Lagoon Basins. Its presence in the ecosystems not only can cause changes at the ecosystem level but also endanger the associated community, favoring the displacement and the disappearance of endemic species.

Highlights

Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker 1857) is a mytilid invasive species of the Plata Basin, native from freshwater systems of China, Southeast Asia
The golden mussel was first found in South America in the coast of Río de la Plata, Buenos Aires province (Pastorino et al 1993) and until now it had a quick spread upward the Plata Basin colonizing 1100 kilometers of its course (Darrigran 2002)
Its occurrence has been reported in the main hydrologic systems of the region: coastal zones of Rio de la Plata (Scarabino andVerde 1995, Darrigran et al 1998), Paraguay, Paraná, Salado and Uruguay Rivers (Darrigran and Ezcurra de Drago 2000, Darrigran 2002) and Los Patos Lagoon (Mansur et al 1999, 2003)

Summary

Introduction

Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker 1857) is a mytilid invasive species of the Plata Basin, native from freshwater systems of China, Southeast Asia. It was introduced accidentally at the region in 1991 with ballast water (Darrigran and Pastorino 1995). It has been reported as a new item in the diet of native fishes and caused problems of macrofouling in hydraulics installations (Darrigran et al 1998, López-Armengol and Casciotta 1998, Darrigran and Ezcurra de Drago 2000, Montalto et al 1999, Penchaszadeh et al 2000, Clemente and Brugnoli 2002, Mansur et al 2003). In the Merín Lagoon and Atlantic Basins, there have not been records of this mussel, Brugnoli et al (2003), suggests that its access to both basins could had been possible throughout the San Gonzalo channel which connects Los Patos and Merín Lagoon systems

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