Issue |
Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.
Number 426, 2025
Riparian ecology and management
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 4 | |
Number of page(s) | 5 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2024026 | |
Published online | 27 January 2025 |
Short Communication
The Asian clam Corbicula fluminea, an accidental host for the European bitterling Rhodeus amarus
Gobio, Weißerlenstraße 2, 79108 Freiburg-Hochdorf, Germany
* Corresponding author: pfeiffer@gobio-online.de
Received:
16
November
2024
Accepted:
20
December
2024
European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus) embryonic development depends entirely on freshwater mussels of the family Unionidae as host. As almost all the six widespread European unionid mussel species are declining in Southwestern Germany, this could result in the loss of spawning habitats for R. amarus in the future. However, there is evidence even for a further expansion of this fish species in the Upper Rhine valley. As this expansion takes place in conjunction with a considerable spread of the non-indigenous freshwater mussel Corbicula fluminea, it is hypothesized that C. fluminea might also serve as a suitable host for R. amarus. Our study for the first time reports successful oviposition of R. amarus into C. fluminea. However, there is a lack of any evidence of bitterling embryo development in C. fluminea. In the presence of both U. crassus and C. fluminea, R. amarus exhibits a preference for unionid mussels for oviposition, prior to C. fluminea. Consequently, C. fluminea seems to be an accidental host for R. amarus and there seem to be other causes for its range expansion.
Key words: Freshwater mussel / species coexistence / reproductive ecology / host preference / invasive species
© M. Pfeiffer et al., Published by EDP Sciences 2025
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