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Aquatic molluscan fauna (Mollusca: Gastropoda, Bivalvia) of Vrana Lake Nature Park

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This paper presents the results of a malacological survey of the largest Croatian lake - Vrana Lake and its surroundings in Vrana Lake Nature Park. Altogether 21 species of aquatic non-marine molluscs (15 gastropods, 6 bivalves) have been recorded. Out of all recorded species, only 10 were documented in Vrana Lake, probably due to the higher salinity of water in the lake. A population of the endangered gastropod Anisus vorticulus was found in Benča Lake.
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Nat. Croat. Vol. 22(1), 2013 15

AQUATIC MOLLUSCAN FAU NA
(MOLUSCA: GASTROPODA, BIVALV I A) OF VRANA
LAKE NATURE PA RK (CROATIA)
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Anisus vorticulus 
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
Anisus vorticulus
Anisus vorticulus
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INTRODUCTION
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 et al.,

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 et al., et al.,et al
Ket al.,
NAT. CROAT. VOL. 22 No 1 15–27 ZAGREB June 30, 2013
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16 Beran, L. et al.: Aquatic molluscan fauna of Vrana Lake Nature Park
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et al.,
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18 Beran, L. et al.: Aquatic molluscan fauna of Vrana Lake Nature Park
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 et
al.
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lake ( et al.,
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
et al.,


 et al.,

 et al.,
Phragmites australis



( et al.,
 

et al
SURVEY OF INVESTIGATED SITES
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

Nat. Croat. Vol. 22(1), 2013 19

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
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





20 Beran, L. et al.: Aquatic molluscan fauna of Vrana Lake Nature Park
RESULTS



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


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
Nat. Croat. Vol. 22(1), 2013 21
 

 135 11  13  15   
Theodoxus uviatilis         
Viviparus contectus  
Bithynia tentaculata          
Heleobia stagnorum      
Paladilhiopsis solida   
Islamia pusilla  
Valvata cristata     
Acroloxus lacustris            
Galba truncatula   
Stagnicola fuscus                 
Radix auricularia       
Anisus vorticulus   
Gyraulus crista  
Hippeutis complanatus    
Ancylus uviatilis   
Pisidium milium  
Pisidium subtruncatum   
Pisidium obtusale 
Pisidium personatum   
Pisidium casertanum  
Dreissena polymorpha       
 1 5  5(1)  15(1) 333(3)   5
22 Beran, L. et al.: Aquatic molluscan fauna of Vrana Lake Nature Park

Theodoxus uviatilis, Bithynia tentaculata, Acroloxus lacustrisStagnicola
fuscusHeleobia stagnorum, Radix auriculariaHippeutis complanatus
H. stagnorum

Galba truncatulaPisidium per-
sonatum
Dreissena polymorpha

Theodoxus uviatilis


Theodoxus uviatilis,
Bithynia tentaculata, Acroloxus lacustris, Stagnicola fuscus, Radix auricularia, Hippeutis com-
planatus, Ancylus uviatilis Pisidium casertanum. Paladilhiopsis solida, Valvata crista-
ta, Galba truncatula, Anisus vorticulus, Gyraulus crista, Pisidium milium, P. personatum, P.
subtruncatumDreissena polymorpha
Anisus
vorticulus
Bithynia tentaculata, Acroloxus lacustris, Stagnicola
fuscus, Hippeutis complanatusPisidium obtusaleA. vorticulus

Stagnicola fuscusViviparus contectus, An-
cylus uviatilisPisidium subtruncatum

Islamia  pusilla, Valvata cristata, Paladilhiopsis solida

 for Theodoxus
uviatilis for Heleobia stagnorum
 for Islamia  pusilla for Valvata cristata
Nat. Croat. Vol. 22(1), 2013 23
 for Stagnicola fuscus
 for Radix auricularia
Stagnicola fuscus
Theodoxus uviatilisAcroloxus lacustris


DISCUSSION




et al.

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

Heleobia stagnorum, 


Stagnicola fuscus, Acroloxus lacustrisThe-
odoxus uviatilis

Bithynia tentaculata

(
Viviparus contectus, Galba truncatula, Radix au-
ricularia, Hippeutis complanatusGyraulus crista

Ancylus uviatilis




Valvata cristata, Paladilhiopsis  solidaIslamiapusilla
V. cristata
P. solida

 

Ipusilla
 et al.
24 Beran, L. et al.: Aquatic molluscan fauna of Vrana Lake Nature Park

Paladilhiopsis
solida


Dreissena polymorpha


D. polymorpha 
( et al.,

D. polymorpha

D. polymorpha

D. polymorphaCyprinus carpio) 
Lepomis gibbosus) (et al.,Fulica
atra), tAythya fuligula), cA. ferina) 
neye (Bucephala clangula) (et al 

D. polymorpha

D. polymorpha
et al.,
 et al., et al.,D. polymorpha



 11  15  

Theodoxus uviatilis 1   1
Heleobia stagnorum  
Paladilhiopsis cf. solida 11
Islamia cf. pusilla 
Valvata cristata 
Acroloxus lacustris   131
Stagnicola fuscus   13 
Radix auricularia  5
Hippeutis complanatus 1
Pisidium casertanum 1
Nat. Croat. Vol. 22(1), 2013 25
D. polymorpha in Vra

D. polymorpha
D. polymorpha 



D. polymorpha 

occurrence of D. polymorpha 

Unio pictorumSinanodonta woodiana 
Vrana Lake 
as


Anisus vorticulus

 


A. vorticulus 


CONCLUSIONS



Anisus vorticulus 

Dreissena polymorpha






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

Received April 22, 2013
26 Beran, L. et al.: Aquatic molluscan fauna of Vrana Lake Nature Park

Anisus vorticulus 
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Quaternaria 29
Sinanodonta woodiana 
6,

, Dreissena polymorpha  





 ,





 
2,



  

48




Nat. Croat. Vol. 22(1), 2013 27

   


Dreissena polymorpha

Dreissena poly-
morpha44
Dreissensia polymorpha Pallas i Pisidium amnicum
32
Bithynia tentacu-
lata,

















Theodoxus uviatilis, Bithynia tentaculata, Acroloxus lacustrisStagni-
cola fuscusHeleobia stagnorum, Radix auriculariaHippeutis complanatus
Dreissena polymorpha


T. uviatilis, B. tentaculata, A. lacustris, S. fuscus, R.
auricularia, H. complanatus, Ancylus uviatilisPisidium casertanum
Anisus vorticulus
B. tentaculata, A. lacustris, S. fuscus, H. complanatusP. obtusale
S. fuscus

Islamiapusilla, Valvata cristata, Paladilhiopsissolida

D. polymorpha,
... S. fuscus is distributed southwards of the North German lowlands, into Southern Europe. It occurs in Croatia (Beran et al. 2013), although it was not found in Montenegro (V. Pešić, oral pers. ...
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Molecular genetic analyses of the nuclear ITS-2 spacer and the two mitochondrial markers COI and a cyt-b fragment (329 bp) of the Palaearctic freshwater snail species Stagnicola corvus (Gmelin, 1791), S. montenegrinus Glöer & Pešić 2009, S. fuscus (C. Pfeiffer, 1821), and S. palustris (O. F. Müller, 1774) are inconsistent, revealing a high percentage of hybrid specimens. The results lead to different conclusions depending on the phylogenetic relationships of the species analysed. Determined as S. montenegrinus, these specimens can now be interpreted as hybrids between S. corvus and another Stagnicola species, possibly S. palustris or S. fuscus. Hybrids between S. fuscus (role of females, i.e. inheriting mitochondria) and S. palustris (role of males) can only be distinguished from " genuine " S. palustris by the mitochondrial markers COI and cyt-b, but not by morphology. The study shows that the mitochondrial COI and cyt-b genes are not nearly as suitable for phylogenetic analyses within Stagnicola as is the nuclear marker ITS-2.
... Pag Island, L. Beran unpubl. records), Vrana Lake (Beran et al., 2013) or rivers flowing into the Adriatic Sea, e. g. the Zrmanja (Beran, 2011) or Krka (L. Beran, unpubl. ...
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This paper presents the results of a malacological survey of the Korana, a river in central Croatia and west Bosnia and Herzegovina belonging to the Danube drainage area (Black Sea basin). The river has a natural character over most of its course except for several weirs and a short river section at Karlovac. Freshwater molluscs of this river at 13 sites between its outflow from Plitvice Lakes and inflow to the Kupa River at Karlovac were studied from 2009 to 2012. Molluscan assemblages of the first two sites are composed of only 3 species (Holandriana holandrii, Radix auricularia, R. labiata). Drying of the river stream is the probable reason for poor malacofauna at these two sites located in the upper part of the Korana. Rich molluscan assemblages comprising from 10 (site No. 3 and 4) to 22 (site No. 13) species were documented at other 11 sites. Altogether 33 aquatic molluscs (21 gastropods, 12 bivalves) were found in the Korana River. Theodoxus danubialis, Esperiana esperi, Microcolpia daudebartii, Holandriana holandrii and Bithynia tentaculata were dominant at most of the sites. Their numerous populations constituted the dominant component of molluscan biomass. The endangered thick-shelled river mussel Unio crassus was recorded at 11 sites and this finding probably means the existence of a numerous and continual population. The existence of a population of Unio crasus is very important and needs more detailed research. The occurrence of three non-native molluscs (Physella acuta, Ferrissia fragilis, Sinanodonta woodiana) was documented. Results of this research were compared with previous investigations and also with molluscan assemblages of the adjacent part of the Kupa River.
... The salinity of the water in which these sediments were deposited is constrained because the lower bound for whole populations of C. torosa to develop with smooth carapaces (~7‰ according to Frenzel et al., 2012) is similar to the upper bound for survival of Bithynia. The common European species B. tentaculata is normally considered unable to tolerate salinity beyond~6-7‰ (e.g., Järvekülg, 1979), although it has been reported in a brackish lake in Croatia where the salinity reaches~8‰ (Beran et al., 2013). However, a different, eastern Mediterranean, species, B. phialensis, lives at present in the Amik Basin (Şereflişan et al., 2009), although other taxa are found elsewhere in Turkey (e.g., Yıldırım, 1999;Glöer and Yıldırım, 2006) and in the Orontes catchment in Syria and Lebanon (e.g., Schütt, 1983;Bössneck, 2011;Glöer et al., 2012). ...
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Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea) and Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller) are among the most invasive aquatic molluscs found in Europe. Both species were recorded in the Adriatic part of Croatia for the first time in 2019 although in the Danubian Croatia they were more common. An abundant population of S. woodiana was found in an oxbow of the Cetina River; mussels with shell length of ca. 12–17 cm dominated. A population of C. fluminea was recorded in the freshwater section of the Zrmanja River above the Jankovića Buk waterfall which forms the border between the brackish and the freshwater sections of the river. Possible pathways of their introduction and reasons for their rare occurrence in contrast to the Danubian Croatia are discussed.
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Alien aquatic macroinvertebrates, especially invasive crustaceans and molluscs, have heavily impacted native species and ecosystem processes in freshwaters worldwide. Knowledge on alien species distribution is necessary to understand their dispersal dynamics and prevent future invasions, and to predict and reduce undesirable impacts. Literature data on alien macroinvertebrate species (AMS) in Croatia are sparse and a complete inventory of alien macroinvertebrates in Croatian freshwaters has never been conducted. The aim of this study was to present a database of AMS in Croatian freshwaters and to analyse their origin, pathways of introduction and distribution. The AMS database was built based on literature data and the authors’ unpublished data, and included a total of 1,411 records from 689 sites across Croatia. In total, 29 AMS were recorded until 2019, belonging to five major taxonomic groups: subphylum Crustacea (16 species) and phyla Mollusca (7 spp.), Annelida (4 spp.), Cnidaria (1 sp.), and Platyhelminthes (1 sp.). The area of origin of most species is the European Ponto-Caspian region (19 spp., 66%), and the rest originate from North America (5 spp.), Asia (4 spp.) and New Zealand (1 sp.). The most important pathways of unintentional primary introductions were stowaway-shipping (20 spp., 69%) and contaminant-fish stocking (6 spp., 21%). All 29 AMS species were found in the Black Sea Basin (Danube Basin) and five of those were also recorded in the river catchments of the Adriatic Sea Basin. For most AMS, the Sava and Drava Rivers are the main river corridors for their westward spread from the Danube. Since studies of AMS dispersal mechanisms are lacking and only a few studies report the impacts of invasive AMS in Croatia, future studies should be focused on the dispersal dynamics and ecological impact of invasive macroinvertebrates in Croatian freshwaters.
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Results of a malacological survey of the Mrežnica River are presented. The molluscan assemblages of this river between the boundary of the Eugen Kvarternik military area and the inflow to the Korana River near Karlovac were studied from 2013 to 2018. Altogether 29 aquatic molluscs (19 gastropods, 10 bivalves) were found at 9 sites. Theodoxus danubialis, Esperiana esperi, Microcolpia daudebartii and Holandriana holandrii were dominant at most of the sites. The molluscan assemblages were very similar to assemblages documented during previous research into the Korana River. The populations of the endangered bivalves Unio crassus and Pseudanodonta complanata were recorded. An extensive population of another endangered gastropod Anisus vorticulus was found at one site. Physa acuta is the only non-native species confirmed in the Mrežnica River.
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The results of a malacological survey of the Krka River between Knin and Skradinski buk waterfalls in the Krka National park are presented. The molluscan assemblages of this karstic river were studied from 2009 to 2013. Altogether, 27 species of freshwater molluscs (19 gastropods, 8 bivalves) were found at 14 sites. Theodoxus fluviatilis, Bithynia tentaculata, Valvata piscinalis, Stagnicola fuscus, Physa fontinalis and Anodonta anatina were dominant at most of the sites. A population of the endangered Anisus vorticulus was found upstream of the Skradinski buk waterfalls and in Visovac Lake.
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A threatened planorbid gastropod Anisus vorticulus (Troschel, 1834), listed in the EU Habitat Directive, was found in the Krka National Park in Croatia in August 2009. This find is the first known record at least in the western part of Croatia belonging to the Adriatic Sea drainage area.
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1. Quantitative models of impact are lacking for the vast majority of known invasive species, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. Consequently, managers lack predictive tools to help them prioritise invasion threats and decide where they can most effectively allocate limited resources. Predictive tools would also enhance the accuracy of water quality assessments, so that impacts caused by an invader are not erroneously attributed to other anthropogenic stressors. 2. The invasion history of a species is a valuable guide for predicting the consequences of its introduction into a new environment. Regression analysis of data from multiple invaded sites can generate empirical models of impact, as is shown here for the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha. Dreissena's impacts on benthic invertebrate abundance and diversity follow predictable patterns that are robust across a range of habitat types and geographic regions. Similar empirical models could be developed for other invaders with a documented invasion history. 3. Because an invader's impact is correlated with its abundance, a surrogate model may be generated (when impact data are unavailable) by relating the invader's abundance to environmental variables. Such a model could help anticipate which habitats will be most affected by invasion. Lack of precision should not be a deterrent to developing predictive models where none exist. Crude predictions can be refined as additional data become available. Empirical modelling is a highly informative and inexpensive, but underused, approach in the management of aquatic invasive species.