Freshwater gastropod (Mollusca: Gastropoda) assemblages, habitat, and the first detection of an invasive gastropod species in two large, dreissenid-influenced, connecting rivers

Journal of Great Lakes Research
By: , and 

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Abstract

Native freshwater gastropods are a highly diverse and imperiled group of mollusks in North America and are influenced by a growing number of problematic invasive species. Consequently, there has been an increased need for understanding aquatic gastropod assemblages throughout North America to implement conservation and management strategies. In the Laurentian Great Lakes, gastropod surveys have been sparse, and most surveys have focused on invasive species. To investigate gastropod assemblages in two large connecting rivers of the Great Lakes, the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, benthic surveys were conducted in 2019 and 2021. Sites in the Detroit River (n = 56) and the St. Clair River (n = 51) were surveyed using petite PONAR grabs from which gastropod shells were identified and quantified to family or a group of two combined families. In both the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, the gastropod family Pleuroceridae (37 % and 56 % total composition, respectively) and combined families Amnicolidae + Hydrobiidae (42 % and 23 % total composition, respectively) contributed the most to overall gastropod composition. Invasive Potamopyrgus antipodarum shells were identified at 4 (7 %) Detroit River sites and 10 (20 %) St. Clair River sites and represent the first documented occurrence in the Detroit River. Although this study was limited to quantifying densities based on shells and cannot assume live-collected snail densities, these results provide a baseline knowledge of the gastropod assemblages and habitat use in these two large river systems which can be used to implement conservation and management strategies.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Freshwater gastropod (Mollusca: Gastropoda) assemblages, habitat, and the first detection of an invasive gastropod species in two large, dreissenid-influenced, connecting rivers
Series title Journal of Great Lakes Research
DOI 10.1016/j.jglr.2024.102497
Edition Online First
Publication Date February 25, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher Elsiever
Contributing office(s) Great Lakes Science Center
Country Canada, United States
Other Geospatial Detroit River, St. Clair River
Additional publication details