Exotic Mollusc Research Articles

I.T. Bakumenko's malaсological collection passed to the State Museum of Natural History of NAS of Ukraine

In August 2021, the State Museum of Natural History in Lviv received the conchological collection of the geologist and amateur collector I.T. Bakumenko. This made it possible to considerably supplement the sample of exotic mollusc species, mainly marine ones, intended for exposition use. During the processing of the collection, the existing identifications were checked, and most of the unlabeled specimens were also identified. Unfortunately, the vast majority of materials did not contain data on place and time of collecting, so they could not be transferred to the main fund of the museum. Most of the collection was represented by the shells of exotic marine molluscs, the list of which is given in the article. Excluding materials identified only to genus or subgenus level, the collection transferred to the museum contained 6 species of exotic land molluscs and 145 species of exotic marine ones. Most of them have previously not been presented in the malacological collection of the museum. Without taking into account taxa whose correct identification requires additional verification, three species of land exotic molluscs, one family (Pinnidae) and 86 species of marine exotic ones appeared for the first time in the malacological collection. Some shells of exotic molluscs of the families Arcidae, Ampullariidae, Cardiidae, Mactridae, Muricidae, Naticidae, Orthalicidae, Ostreidae, Patellidae, Pectenidae, Ranellidae, Tellinidae, Trochidae, Veneridae require further identification. Some of the most attractive examples of the collection transferred to the museum were demonstrated in a thematic electronic photo album “Treasures of distant seas” (2021). In the future, the digitization of other exotic species that entered the malacological collection of the museum for the first time is planned. The produced photos will be used in one of the thematic sections of the museum project Educational Internet program "Molluscs".

Updated and referenced inventory of invasing exotic molluscs that occur in the State of Santa Catarina/ SC, Central Southern Brazil region

Introduction: Biological invasions, from molluscs among others, have been recognized as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in the world, and when non-native species invade, they can modify the structure of the community and the functioning of ecosystems, in addition to representing a serious socio-economic threat. Objective: Updated general review of the inventory of invasive exotic molluscs occurring in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina/ SC. Methodology: An unprecedented organization of a reference database comprising the total knowledge generated around the topic in just over two decades of systematic regional research. Results and conclusions: Regional total confirmed and registered of 31 taxa/ species of invasive exotic molluscs (five (5) Bivalvia marihnos & 26 continental forms: nine (9) freshwater – five (5) Gastropoda & four (4) Bivalvia – as well as 17 terrestrial/ terrestrial Gastropoda), all verified through the global platform "MolluscaBase", taxonomically included in 29 genera (22 Gastropoda & 7 Bivalvia) and 21 families (15 Gastropoda & 4 Bivalvia), including additional information about their biogeographic distribution known in the territorial space of the State.

BIOINVASÃO DE Melanoides tuberculata (MÜLLER, 1774) NA REGIÃO AMAZÔNICA: NOVO REGISTRO E STATUS DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO

The present work presents a new record of the invasive gastropod Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774) and indicates the invasive status of the species in the Amazon region. The record of M. tuberculata occurred in a stream located in the Rio dos Cacos microbasin (Primavera. Pará State) in the years 2019 and 2020. This is the eighth occurrence of the species in the state of Pará and the occurrence of M. tuberculata is evident. in the states of Mato Grosso and Tocantins. With this present record, the existence of more than one route of entry of the species in the Amazon region is evidenced, given the absence of connection between the water bodies where there are records of M. tuberculata. The absence of records of M. tuberculata in the other states of the Amazon region is probably due to the lack of studies and/or malacological surveys in the region. We emphasize the need to survey the mollusc fauna in the Amazon region with the aim of monitoring the invasion of exotic molluscs.

Diversity, community structure and habitat use of molluscs in marinas from the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Africa

Although the number of marinas along shorelines has significantly increased during the last years, there is a lack of studies on mobile epifauna associated to floating pontoons or infauna inhabiting soft bottoms of marinas. Artificial hard substrate (lateral surface of pontoons) and soft substrate (sediment) were sampled in 42 marinas along the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Africa and 48 different species of molluscs were found. Species richness and Shannon diversity values were higher in sediments than in hard substrates; multivariate analyses also revealed differences in species composition and trophic guilds between these two habitats. The most abundant species on the hard substrate were Mytilus galloprovincialis and Musculus subpictus, and Corbula gibba and Parvicardium exiguum in sediments. Although filter feeders were dominant in both habitats, herbivorous species were only found on the hard substrate while deposit feeders were restricted to sediments. As diversity, abundance and trophic patterns were not always consistent for all localities, a local scale effect must be considered in environmental programs for marinas. None exotic mollusc was detected, so this study provides baseline information necessary as a first step in monitoring programmes for early detection of new incoming exotic species. Faunistic knowledge is mandatory to provide local governments, policy makers and authorities with readily accessible species datasets and ecological information. This should be a priority to address an integrated and sustainable management of marinas.

Effects of osmotic and thermal shock on the invasive aquatic mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum: mortality and physiology under stressful conditions

Invasive freshwater species, such as the exotic mollusc Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand mudsnail), can frequently survive under harsh conditions, including brackish and hypoxic environments. We experimentally assessed the effects of osmotic (0, 10, 20, 25 and 30 psu) and thermal (20 °C) shock on mortality, activity and physiology of P. antipodarum collected at Capitol Lake, Olympia, Washington, USA, during winter and spring seasons when environmental temperature was 5 and 10 °C respectively. We measured standard metabolic rate and enzymatic activities (malate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, alanopine dehydrogenase) in snails after a 10-day acclimation period at high salinity. Significantly higher mortalities were observed at higher salinities; the strongest effects occurred on snails collected at the end of winter, and exposed to 30 psu and 20 °C (100% mortality in 3 days). When snails were collected during the spring, 100% mortality was observed after 40 days at 30 psu and 20 °C. Standard metabolic rates were significantly lower when snails were exposed to salinities of 25 and 30 psu, even after 10 days of acclimation. Enzymatic activities showed small but significant declines after 10 days at 30 psu reflecting the declines observed in overall metabolism. The physiological tolerances to temperature and salinity displayed by this population of P. antipodarum make its eradication from Capital Lake difficult to achieve.

DNA barcoding for assessment of exotic molluscs associated with maritime ports in northern Iberia

ABSTRACTPorts are gateways for aquatic invasions. New arrivals from maritime traffic and disturbed environmental conditions can promote the settlement of exotic species. Molluscs fall into the most prevalent group of invasive species and can have a tremendous impact on aquatic ecosystems. Here we have investigated exotic molluscs in three ports with different intensities of maritime traffic in the Cantabrian Sea. DNA barcodes were employed to identify the species using BLASTn and BOLD IDS assignment. Deep morphological analysis using diagnostic criteria confirmed BLAST species assignation based on COI and 16S rRNA genes. Results confirmed the usefulness of DNA barcoding for detecting exotic species that are visually similar to native species. Three exotic bivalves were identified: Ostrea stentina (dwarf oyster), the highly invasive Crassostrea gigas (Pacific oyster) and Xenostrobus securis (pygmy mussel). This is the first record of O. stentina in the Bay of Biscay and the second of X. securis in the Cantabrian Sea. Furthermore, we report on the presence of the cryptogenic mussel Mytilaster minimus in the central Cantabrian Sea. These exotic species might have been overlooked due to their phenotypic similarity with co-occurring oyster and mussel species. This study illustrates how combining morphological and DNA taxonomic analysis can help in port and marina biosecurity surveys.

Non-indigenous bivalves (Mollusca) from the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay)

Event Abstract Back to Event Non-indigenous bivalves (Mollusca) from the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay) Irene Fernández Rodríguez1*, Andrés Arias Rodríguez1 and Nuria Anadón Álvarez1 1 University of Oviedo, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Spain Alien or non-indigenous species represent a potential risk to receiving ecosystems, since they may develop an invasive behavior, negatively affecting the native diversity and causing, in some cases, economic losses. On the case of introductions of marine species, the most frequent vectors of introduction are the shipping (e.g. ballast water, biofouling) and the aquaculture activities. Furthermore, Global Warming may play a role in the establishment of alien species in new areas. The Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay) is considered a potential area for the successful establishment of alien species. It is an area influenced by the Gulf Stream with a gradient of warmer water, and delimited northwards and westwards by regions with colder waters. On the other hand, during the last decades, there has been an increasing on the average water temperature in associated to global warming (IPCC, 2007). Here we present an updated review of the alien bivalve species reported in the Bay of Biscay until the date. A total of 15 species from 9 families of class Bivalvia (Pharidae, Veneridae, Ostreidae, Mytilidae, Arcidae, Semelidae, Pectinidae, Chamidae and Kelliidae) were reported as introduced, and four of them - Ensis directus, Ruditapes phillippinarum, Crassostrea gigas and Xenostrobus securis -have showed an invasive behavior: (Arias & Anadón 2012; Pejovic et al. 2016). The manila clam, R. phillippinaru and the Pacific oyster C. gigas were introduced by means of aquaculture and the American razor clam, E. directus, and the New Zealand pigmy mussel, X, securis,by ballast water. More recently, several specimens of Anadara transversa and Ostrea stentina have been reported for the fisrt time in the Bay of Biscay, from the Villaviciosa and Eo estuaries and the Avilés Port respectively (Fernández-Rodríguez et al. 2016; Pejovic et al. 2016). Although a harmful behavior has not been reported for those species yet, they certainly have the potential to become invasive and thus monitoring studies should be undertaken in order to ascertain its evolution in the area. References Arias, A., and Anadón, N. (2012). First record of Mercenaria mercenaria (Bivalvia: Veneridae) and Ensis directus (Bivalvia: Pharidae) on Bay of Biscay, Iberian Peninsula. J. Shellfish Res. 31(1), 57–60. Fernández-Rodríguez, I., Bañón, R., Anadón, N., and Arias, A. (2016). First record of Anadara transversa (Say, 1822) (Bivalvia: Arcidae) in the Bay of Biscay. Cah. Biol. Mar. 57(3), in press. IPCC (2001). Climate Change: The Scientific Basis. Cambridge University Press. Pejovic, I., Ardura, A., Miralles, L., Arias, A., Borrell, Y.J., and García-Vázquez, E. (2016). DNA barcoding for assessment of exotic molluscs associated with maritime ports in northern Iberia. Mar. Biol. Res. 12(2), 168–176. Keywords: alien species, molluscs, Biodiversity, Spain, Iberian Peninsula Conference: XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, Porto, Portugal, 5 Sep - 9 Sep, 2016. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: 2. GLOBAL CHANGES, INVASIVE SPECIES AND CONSERVATION Citation: Fernández Rodríguez I, Arias Rodríguez A and Anadón Álvarez N (2016). Non-indigenous bivalves (Mollusca) from the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay). Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.05.00178 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Apr 2016; Published Online: 03 Sep 2016. * Correspondence: Miss. Irene Fernández Rodríguez, University of Oviedo, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Oviedo, Spain/Asturias, Spain, irefdezrguez@hotmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Irene Fernández Rodríguez Andrés Arias Rodríguez Nuria Anadón Álvarez Google Irene Fernández Rodríguez Andrés Arias Rodríguez Nuria Anadón Álvarez Google Scholar Irene Fernández Rodríguez Andrés Arias Rodríguez Nuria Anadón Álvarez PubMed Irene Fernández Rodríguez Andrés Arias Rodríguez Nuria Anadón Álvarez Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Occurrence of the Copse Snail,Arianta arbustorum(Helicidae), on Prince Edward Island: An Addition to the North American Range of a Purported Potential Pest

Abstract We report the first occurrence of Arianta arbustorum (Copse Snail) on Prince Edward Island, expanding its well-established presence in eastern Canada. Although listed as an exotic mollusc for which prevention of introduction to the US is a priority, the evidence from Canada to date suggests a low pest potential for this species. It is unlikely that eradication efforts in North America would be effective; thus, the Copse Snail may be a poor candidate for pest-prevention efforts in the US.

Exotic molluscs in State of Paraíba, Northeast Brazil: a bibliographic survey

We present a list of exotic mollusc species recorded in the literature from State of Paraíba (PB), Northeast Brazil, as of April 2014. The total number of species of exotic mollusc recorded is seven, two Bivalvia and five Gastropoda. The Class Bivalvia's species was represented by Isognomon bicolor (Adams, 1845) and Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774), and Class Gastropoda's species by Achatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822), Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774), Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805), Aplexa marmorata (Guilding, 1828), and Lymnaea columella (Say, 1817).

Exotic Molluscs in the Great Lakes Host Epizootically Important Trematodes

One of the most significant ecological and economic impacts of exotic species is associated with their role as vectors for the introduction of parasites into invaded areas. Exotic parasites may have devastating impacts on invaded ecosystems; moreover, invaders may also become hosts for aboriginal parasites, promoting native diseases that otherwise would not have emerged. During 2009 and 2010, exotic molluscs were collected from 27 sites in the Lower Great Lakes and their tributaries, the Finger Lakes, and Lake Oneida. Seven species of exotic molluscs were examined for the presence of trematodes, including the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis), faucet snail (Bithynla tentaculata), European stream valvata (Valvata piscinalis), Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis), and the New Zealand mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum). Most of the examined molluscs were infected with trematode larvae that may be harmful to their subsequent vertebrate hosts, including fish, birds, and mammals. These included Sphaeridiotrema sp. cercariae and Cyathocotyle bushiensis metacercariae from B. tentaculata, Echinostoma sp. cercariae from V. piscinalis, and echinostomatid metacercariae from Dreissena spp. and C. fluminea. Many exotic molluscs that were believed to be free of parasites have already acquired trematodes native to North America. Hotspots of trematode infections were recorded in the western basin of Lake Erie and in Lake Oneida, where several species of exotic molluscs had a high prevalence of trematodes, and thus potentially pose risk of transmission to definitive hosts.

Reduction of flatfish habitat as a consequence of the proliferation of an invasive mollusc

Coastal bays provide habitats for juveniles and adults of many marine species. Mont Saint-Michel Bay (MSMB, France) hosts a highly diversified fish community and constitutes one of the most important nursery grounds for many commercially exploited marine species, such as sea bass, flatfish, clupeids and rays in the English Channel. Besides, MSMB also suffers from the massive invasion of an exotic mollusc, the American slipper-limpet ( Crepidula fornicata, L.). This species arrived four decades ago and now represents the main filter-feeder biomass in the bay (150 Mt), an order of magnitude larger than local farmed and natural shellfishes. Recent analyses underlined the impact of this small gastropod on the trophic structure of this bay and its negative influence on juvenile sole densities in the nursery grounds. The present study uses a geostatistical approach to explore the effect of the extension of the slipper-limpet on flatfish (common sole Solea solea, L.; plaice Pleuronectes platessa, L.; brill Scophthalmus rhombus, L. and flounder Platichthys flesus, L.) spatial distribution. Data collected during survey of the MSMB at the end of the 1970s and three decades later have been used to build interpolated maps of (1) slipper-limpet and (2) flatfish spatial distributions. Slipper-limpets were concentrated in a small area, in the western part of the MSMB, in the 1970s while today they occupy half of the bay. This rapid proliferation led to the decrease of available surface for flatfishes, which previously occupied the whole bay and are now restricted to its eastern part. The present study highlighted that the negative influence on fish habitat in MSMB is apparently more related to changes in the substratum than to trophic interactions. This invasion has possible consequences on flatfish population renewal at a large scale and may also damage other benthic or demersal species, such as rays.

Using classification trees to analyze the impact of exotic species on the ecological assessment of polder lakes in Flanders, Belgium

Polder lakes in Flanders are stagnant waters that were flooded by the sea in the past. Several of these systems are colonized by exotic species, but have hardly been studied until present. The aim of the present study was: (1) to assess the influence of exotic macrobenthic species on the outcome of the Multimetric Macroinvertebrate Index Flanders (MMIF) and (2) to use classification trees for evaluating to what extent physical–chemical characteristics affect the presence of exotic species. In total, 27 mollusc and 10 macro-crustacean species were present in the monitored lakes of which respectively five and four were exotic. The exclusion of the exotic species from the MMIF resulted in a significant decline of this ecological index (−0.03 ± 0.04; p = 0.00). This elimination often resulted into a lower ecological water quality class and more samples were classified into the bad and poor ecological water quality classes. Single-target classification trees for Gammarus tigrinus and Potamopyrgus antipodarum were constructed, relating environmental parameters and ecological status (MMIF) to the occurrence of both exotic invasive species. The major advantages of using single-target classification trees are the transparency of the rule sets and the possibility to use relatively small datasets. However, this classification technique only predicts a single-target attribute and the trees of the different species are often hard to integrate and use for water managers. As a solution, a multi-target approach was used in the present study. Exotic molluscs and crustaceans communities were modelled based on environmental parameters and the ecological status (MMIF) using multi-target classification trees. Multi-target classification trees can be used in management planning and investment decisions as they can lead to integrated decisions for the whole set of exotic species and avoid the construction of many models for each individual species. These trees provide general insights concerning the occurrence patterns of individual crustaceans and molluscs in an integrated way.

Field evidence for a parasite spillback caused by exotic mollusc Dreissena polymorpha in an invaded lake

This study provides field evidence in support of the "parasite spillback hypothesis" that predicts a positive numerical response of native parasites to the presence of an exotic host that is competing for these parasites with native hosts. We examined the role that the exotic mollusc Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel) plays as the second intermediate host of the echinostomatid trematode Echinoparyphium recurvatum in Lake Naroch, Belarus. We found that due likely to the disproportionately high abundance of its novel exotic host, the metacercarial stage of this parasite has become substantially more abundant than that of other echinostomatid trematodes recorded in native molluscs. This finding suggests an increased load (the "spillback") of E. recurvatum on native waterfowl that serve as its final hosts. The risk of aquatic birds becoming infected with this trematode via feeding on D. polymorpha was found to vary both spatially and seasonally. This risk was particularly high in the autumn at a depth of 2 m and at sites of bird gatherings.

First record of the purple dye murex Bolinus brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae) and a revised list of non native molluscs from Galician waters (Spain, NE Atlantic)

The purple dye murex Bolinus brandaris (Linnaeus, 1758) has been reported for the first time from O Grove inlet (Galicia, NW Spain) in 2007. The presence of the shell mounds shows that this Mediterranean gastropod is commonly recorded in O Grove inlet together with another exotic muricid: Hexaplex trunculus. To the extent of our knowledge, this is the northernmost record of this species on the NE Atlantic coast. This species is the newest entry into a list of 23 aquatic and benthic exotic molluscs species from Galician waters. Most of them are introduced marine species, which arrived accidentally, or not, in the Galician region as a consequence of ship transport, shellfish culture and trade.

Colonization patterns and densities of zebra musselDreissena in muddy offshore sediments of Western Lake Erie, Canada

Zebra mussels (Dreissena) have expanded rapidly throughout most of the Laurentian Great Lakes since their inadvertent release in 1986. These exotic molluscs now occur in great numbers on the bottom of western Lake Erie where they are found increasingly in deeper areas of the basin (average depth: 10 m), on soft, muddy substrates. This study is aimed at quantifying the density and the distribution patterns of mussel colonization in the basin as a first step in investigating the effect on sediment properties of such an abrupt change in benthic community structure. Underwater video imagery and diver-collected samples taken from representative offshore areas (seven sites) in western Lake Erie showed colonization levels of up to 20,000 live mussels per m2 in soft sediments (adults with shells > 10 mm comprised 47%). Digital side-scan sonar records confirmed that colonization patterns were not random, but showed distinctive spatial signatures ranging from 30-m-long parallel stripes, to large ovate masses. Broad irregular mats were found in association with hard bottoms (bedrock, boulders, or wrecks and large debris). Mussel densities were averaged from the sites, assuming consistent relationships with substrate type and were combined with digitized percentage of areal coverage of major bottom types in western Lake Erie. This resulted in the first population figure of 1013 in the basin. This figure includes molluscs of all sizes > 0.84 mm.

Comparative Growth and Survival of Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena bugensis, Exotic Molluscs Introduced to the Great Lakes

Zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels ( D. bugensis) are among the most recent species to invade the Great Lakes. This study explored growth rates of two size classes (5 and 15 mm) of each species reciprocally transplanted into western and eastern Lake Erie, and in laboratory experiments in which environmental temperature and food concentration were varied. Both species and size classes experienced high survival rates in western (>95%) and eastern (> 85%) Lake Erie. Length-and mass-specific growth rates varied significantly between locations and mussel size classes, but not by species. Mussels incubated in the warm, western basin of Lake Erie exibited growth {length and mass), whereas those in the cooler eastern basin did not. In a laboratory experiment, temperature and size were the most important determinants of growth, though species differences were evident. Growth of both species was greater at 15°C than at 6°C. Specific growth rates of zebra mussels were greater than those of quagga mussels, except with respect to mass growth of smaller mussels at the higher temperature. Large mussels of both species experienced no mortality, whereas small quagga mussels experienced a significantly higher rate of mortality (50%) at the higher temperature than did small zebra mussels (10%). Results of the present study indicate that mussel growth of both species corresponds with initial size and environmental temperature, and that the distribution of quagga mussels in the Great Lakes is unlikely to be determined by high water temperature.