Rapid expansion of the Asian clam Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller, 1774): a new alien species in the mollusk community of the Vistula

Abstract

A new large population of the Asian clam Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller, 1774) was found within a reach (ca 210 km long) of one of the largest European rivers, the Vistula. The largest population and the largest individuals were found at the outlet of a channel collecting heated water from the cooling process at the Połaniec power station and adjacent parts of the river. In the northern part of the study area, bivalves occurred at the channel margins, in groyne fields, and in the shallows of sand banks or sandbars. The clams were less numerous in places where the river was regulated with straightened banks and stone ripraps. Twenty-five other taxa of mollusks were found altogether at the sampling stations where Corbicula was observed, including other non-indigenous mollusk species.

Further dispersion of the invasive alien species Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller, 1774) in the Oder River

“…This fact is typical for young, growing populations that are in the initial stage of invasion. The dimensions of the shells from the area that was studied are similar to those from other populations of C. fluminea in the Oder and Vistula Rivers (Domagała et al, 2004;Wawrzyniak-Wydrowska, 2007;Maćkiewicz, 2013;Bonk et al, 2018), but smaller than those from the heated Konin lakes, which most likely results from the higher water temperature in those lakes compared to the rivers (Urbańska et al, 2018).…”

“…Its occurrence in the Vistula River (27 findings on the stretch from Puławy to Opatowice) was also recorded in 2011-2016 (Bonk et al, 2018). The largest population and the largest individuals were noted at the outlet of a channel that collects heated water from the Połaniec Power Station as well as adjacent parts of the river (Bonk et al, 2018). In 2016, a new population of C. fluminea was recorded in the Warta-Gopło Channel in Konin, which is a part of a power plant lake cooling system (Central Poland) (Urbańska et al, 2018) (Fig.…”

“…In 2016, the Asian clam was collected in the Vistula River in Warsaw and, few months later, from three localities above Warsaw. Its occurrence in the Vistula River (27 findings on the stretch from Puławy to Opatowice) was also recorded in 2011-2016 (Bonk et al, 2018). The largest population and the largest individuals were noted at the outlet of a channel that collects heated water from the Połaniec Power Station as well as adjacent parts of the river (Bonk et al, 2018).…”

New records of the invasive red swamp crayfishProcambarus clarkii(Girard, 1852) (Decapoda: Cambaridae) from Poland

“…Therefore, even a single introduction could be potentially catastrophic for local ecosystems. In Europe, some warmwater invertebrates like freshwater shrimps of Atyidae family as well as asian pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) or the asian clam, Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) were initially found in heated water close to power stations, however, after several years, some of them were able to also colonise cooler waters (Klotz et al, 2013;Maćkiewicz, 2013;Najberek et al, 2013;Chmielewski et al, 2017Bonk et al, 2018;Jabłońska et al, 2018;Weiperth et al, 2019). As we also found juvenile representatives of P. clarkii in Żerań Canal, we suggest that the population may be breeding, as in our opinion, there is a lower probability of juveniles being released into the natural environment than the adults.…”

First record and DNA barcodes of non-native shrimp, Caridina babaulti (Bouvier, 1918) in Europe

“…The occurrence of several warm-adapted nonnative species in temperate European inland waters can be traced to releases of exotic species in thermally polluted waters (Bonk et al 2018;Labecka & Domagala 2018;Weiperth et al 2019). Exotic species often have a detrimental impact on native species and the whole ecosystem (Zavaleta et al 2001;Gallardo et al 2016;Kiruba-Sankar et al 2018).…”