Abstract
The freshwater pearl mussel family Margaritiferidae includes 13 extant species, which are all listed by IUCN as endangered or vulnerable taxa. In this study, an extensive spatial sampling of Margaritifera spp. across the Russian Far East (Amur Basin, Kamchatka Peninsula, Kurile Archipelago and Sakhalin Island) was conducted for a revision of their taxonomy and distribution ranges. Based on their DNA sequences, shell and soft tissue morphology, three valid species were identified: Margaritifera dahurica (Middendorff, 1850), M. laevis (Haas, 1910) and M. middendorffi (Rosén, 1926). M. dahurica ranges across the Amur basin and some of the nearest river systems. M. laevis is distributed in Japan, Sakhalin Island and the Kurile Archipelago. M. middendorffi was previously considered an endemic species of the Kamchatka. However, it is widespread in the rivers of Kamchatka, Sakhalin Island, the Kurile Islands (across the Bussol Strait, which is the most significant biogeographical boundary within the archipelago), and, likely, in Japan. The Japanese species M. togakushiensis Kondo & Kobayashi, 2005 seems to be conspecific with M. middendorffi because of similar morphological patterns, small shell size (<100 mm long) and overlapped ranges, but it is in need of a separate revision. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that two NW Pacific margaritiferid species, M. laevis and M. middendorffi, formed a monophyletic 18S rDNA clade together with the North American species M. marrianae and M. falcata. The patterns that were found in these Margaritifera spp. are similar to those of freshwater fishes, indicating multiple colonizations of Eastern Asia by different mitochondrial lineages, including an ancient Beringian exchange between freshwater faunas across the Pacific.
Highlights
The family Margaritiferidae includes 13 extant species, which are mainly distributed in temperate latitudes of the Northern hemisphere [1], [2], [3]
The Bayesian analysis of the nuclear 18S rRNA gene revealed that the NW Pacific species M. middendorffi and M. laevis belong to a well-supported monophyletic clade (BPP 1.00) together with the North American species M. marrianae and M. falcata (Fig 2A)
The present study focuses on the freshwater pearl mussels of the genus Margaritifera
Summary
The family Margaritiferidae includes 13 extant species, which are mainly distributed in temperate latitudes of the Northern hemisphere [1], [2], [3]. Recent species are known from North America, Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and throughout much of Southern and Eastern Asia [2], [4]. The North American, European and Northern African Margaritiferidae are relatively well studied [8], [4], [9], [10], [11] in contrast to the Asian representatives of the family. A description of a new Japanese Margaritiferidae species M. togakushiensis Kondo & Kobayashi, 2005 was published. This species was separated from M. laevis based on the results of long-term studies, including differences in the host fish preference and genetic and morphological patterns [17], [18], [19], [20], [21]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
