Out of New Zealand: molecular identification of the highly invasive freshwater mollusk Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) in South America

Gonzalo A Collado

doi:10.1186/s40555-014-0070-y

Abstract

BackgroundThe New Zealand mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) is among the most widespread non-indigenous mollusk in the world. Based on a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis, the invasion of this species to central Chile, which is also the first record of this species from South America, is reported.ResultsMolecular analysis identified four populations of P. antipodarum in central Chile, Parque O'Higgins and Estero La Dehesa in Santiago city, and Estero Consuelo and the Chalinga River in Salamanca, a town located in a different basin. No sequence divergence was found among populations in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Morphological and reproductive evidence is in agreement with these findings.ConclusionsThis is the first record of P. antipodarum in the Neotropical region. All populations contained only females with embryos or juvenile snails in their brood pouches suggesting that they are viable and well established. It is important to prevent the spread of P. antipodarum to other localities in Chile and other South American countries.

Highlights

The New Zealand mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) is among the most widespread non-indigenous mollusk in the world
In Región Metropolitana, two watersheds were sampled in Santiago city; Estero La Dehesa (33° 22′ 02.00′′ S; 70° 31′ 15.00′′ W), a stream located in the eastern suburbs of the city, and Parque O'Higgins (33° 28′ 06.22′′ S; 70°39′ 38.31′′ W), an urban park that offers recreation, fishing, and open green space to residents and whose southern section includes a spring that flows about 300 m into an small artificial lagoon
The snails collected in central Chile have ovate to conical shell shape, smooth, with a deep suture, and with up to six whorls (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

The New Zealand mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) is among the most widespread non-indigenous mollusk in the world. The mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum is a caenogastropod originated from New Zealand and adjacent islands (Winterbourn 1970, 1972). This snail has become among the most widespread non-indigenous aquatic invertebrates in the world (Butkus et al 2012). Several transport methods have been reported as responsible for propagation of this global exotic species, which include both active and passive dispersal (Alonso and Castro-Diez 2008) This species has invaded brackish and freshwater habitats in several countries in Europe, Australia, Asia, and North America Butkus et al (2012) reported regular (smooth) and carinate morphotypes from Lake Vilkokšnis, suggesting two independent invasion events. This should be taken with caution since the presence of a keel-like ridge can be a phenotypically plastic trait

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