Major shortfalls impairing knowledge and conservation of freshwater molluscs

Lopes‐Lima, Manuel; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Urbańska, Maria; Köhler, Frank; Vinarski, Maxim V.; Bogan, Arthur E.; Sousa, Ronaldo

doi:10.1007/s10750-021-04622-w

Cited by 58 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 302 publications

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“…Globally, 253 freshwater mussel species have been identified as Extinct (EX), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU) or Near Threatened (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2021). Considering these grim assessments, freshwater mussels are considered one of the most threatened groups of freshwater organisms in the world (Strayer et al, 2004; Bogan, 2008; Johnson et al, 2013; Lopes‐Lima et al, 2018; Lopes‐Lima et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematics, distribution, biology, and conservation of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) in China

Liu

Wü

et al. 2022

Aquatic Conservation

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Freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionida) have a broad global distribution on every continent except Antarctica. However, owing to human activities, the diversity of freshwater mussels is seriously globally threatened. China is an important global biodiversity hotspot for this fauna. This article comprehensively reviews the 99 currently recognized species in China, collating for the first time their systematics, distribution, life‐history traits, habitat preferences, conservation status, and main threats to suggest future management actions. The review showed that the taxonomic status and species validity of many freshwater mussels are still not well resolved. The freshwater mussel diversity in the Yangtze River Basin is higher than that in other freshwater habitats in China. Life history characteristics and habitat preferences are poorly known for most species. Only half of the total number of species in China have been assessed for their conservation status. Among those assessed, around half of them are threatened with extinction with more than 10% being considered as Data Deficient. The key threats identified as potentially related to species declines are pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation, loss of access to host fishes and overharvesting of mussels or their host fishes. The review shows that there is a strong geographical bias in the amount of knowledge available for freshwater mussels, with most of the available data being concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze basin. Almost no data are available for these taxa north of the Yellow River basin and in the west and south‐west regions of China. To make future conservation and management more effective we suggest that efforts should be concentrated on: (i) increasing the amount of research on basic ecological and life‐history features, including growth, life‐span, reproductive cycle, host fish identification and habitat requirements of each species; (ii) establishing the interspecific and intraspecific genetic diversity patterns of Chinese freshwater mussels, to clarify their taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny, and to understand the phylogeography and population structure of each species; and (iii) urgently establishing protected areas for fish and mussels in locations of high species richness, such as Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake, and also in regions with high levels of endemism or genetic uniqueness, such as Guangxi Province, Yunnan Province and Heilongjiang Province. In addition, the need for habitat restoration and the conservation of freshwater mussels has become urgent in China, and an integrated systematic conservation and management plan should be developed and effectively implemented.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematics, distribution, biology, and conservation of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) in China

Liu

Wü

et al. 2022

Aquatic Conservation

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“…

Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) rank among the most imperilled groups of animals worldwide (Lopes-Lima et al, 2021). Anthropogenic activities have destroyed or deteriorated the habitats of freshwater mussels in China, especially in the Yangtze River drainage (Liu et al, 2020).

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confidence: 99%

Mitogenomic phylogeny resolves Cuneopsis (Bivalvia: Unionidae) as polyphyletic: The description of two new genera and a new species

Dai

Yin

et al. 2022

Zoologica Scripta

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Freshwater mussels are known to have two types of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) transmitted separately through oocytes and sperms, namely, maternal (F‐type) and paternal (M‐type) mtDNA. The additional suite of mitochondrial genes provides a great opportunity to resolve phylogenetically problematic relationships. East Asian freshwater mussels of the genus Cuneopsis were considered a compact group of taxa having wedge‐shaped shells. However, preliminary results from previous studies challenged the monophyly of Cuneopsis, and the exact phylogenetic relationships among Cuneopsis and its allied genera are yet to be determined with comprehensive species sampling. Here, we evaluated species boundaries in Cuneopsis based on COI barcoding and obtained 11 new F‐ and M‐type mitogenomes via genome skimming to elucidate the evolutionary history of Cuneopsis. COI barcode data supported the validity of all sampled six Cuneopsis species (missing C. kiangsiensis). Our mitochondrial phylogenomic analyses confirmed that the currently recognized genus Cuneopsis sensu lato was polyphyletic, recovering three well‐supported clades. Molecular dating analysis suggested Cuneopsis s.l. diversified at ~58.06 million years ago in the Paleogene. Hereby, we propose two new genera, that is, Arcuneopsis gen. nov. and Pseudocuneopsis gen. nov. Additionally, we report a new species, Pseudocuneopsis sichuanensis sp. nov., from Chengdu, Sichuan, China, and a newly recorded species from China, Cuneopsis demangei.

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“…Molluscs are one of the most diverse and widespread groups of invertebrates in freshwater and marine habitats. Unfortunately, due to human activities, freshwater and marine taxa of molluscs are among the most endangered invertebrates on Earth, and many species are on the verge of extinction [91][92][93][94][95][96].…”

Section: Acyclic Aliphatic Fatty (Carboxylic) Acidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrobiological Aspects of Saturated, Methyl-Branched, and Cyclic Fatty Acids Derived from Aquatic Ecosystems: Origin, Distribution, and Biological Activity

Dembitsky

2022

Hydrobiology

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This review focuses on the hydrobiological aspects of saturated, methyl-branched, and cyclic fatty acids (FA) derived from aquatic ecosystems. This short review presents the distribution of about 60 FA in various living organisms inhabiting the aquatic environment as well as in marine and freshwater sediments. In addition, it is important to determine the biological activity of saturated, methyl-branched, and cyclic fatty acids. An interesting finding was that some cyclic FA show antiplatelet activity. The generalized and presented data are of interest to hydrobiologists, chemists, and pharmacologists.

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Major shortfalls impairing knowledge and conservation of freshwater molluscs

Cited by 58 publications

References 302 publications

Systematics, distribution, biology, and conservation of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) in China

Systematics, distribution, biology, and conservation of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) in China

Mitogenomic phylogeny resolves Cuneopsis (Bivalvia: Unionidae) as polyphyletic: The description of two new genera and a new species

Hydrobiological Aspects of Saturated, Methyl-Branched, and Cyclic Fatty Acids Derived from Aquatic Ecosystems: Origin, Distribution, and Biological Activity

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