Dispersion and Ecological Impact of the Invasive Freshwater Bivalve Limnoperna fortunei in the Río de la Plata Watershed and Beyond

Abstract

Limnoperna fortunei is a freshwater bivalve that invaded South America through Rı´o de la Plata estuary in 1989 and has since become a major macrofouling pest. Along the Parana´-Paraguay waterway, which hosts intense boat traffic, L. fortunei has moved upstream at an average rate of of 250 km per year.

Environmental factors restrict the invasion process ofLimnoperna fortunei(Mytilidae) in the Neotropical region: A case study from the Andean tributaries

“…Information on the minimal concentration of Ca 2+ necessary for development of L. fortunei is scarce (Table 2), but available data suggest it ranges from 3 (Boltovskoy et al, 2006) to 3.96 mg.L x1 (Darrigran, 2002). Oliveira et al (2010aOliveira et al ( , 2011 discussed that in the Pantanal, on the Paraguay River, L. fortunei lives in places where Ca 2+ concentrations range from 1.0 to 6.0 mg.L x1 .…”

“…This would happen if one considered that these data are theoretical characteristics of the spatial scale under study, without knowing the characteristics of the lower scales that make up that higher spatial hierarchy (e.g., lower saline concentration, lower sediment load, or the existence of temporary water bodies). Because L. fortunei exhibits a jump-dispersal mechanism (Boltovskoy et al, 2006), it could potentially settle upstream of its present range. However, because of the physical and chemical barriers described herein, the species is restricted to the environmentally favorable locations, but does not invade others that -because similar at a regional scale -theoretically could be susceptible to invasion.…”

“…Indeed, the invasive potential of L. fortunei is revealed by its sharing of a number of biological characteristics with D. polymorpha (Morton, 1977), including its freeswimming planktonic larvae (Darrigran et al, 2007), byssal filaments for attachment to hard substrates, high resistance to air exposure (Montalto and Ezcurra de Drago, 2003; and high reproductive potential (Darrigran et al, 2003). Since L. fortunei was introduced in South America, there have been attempts to understand the pattern of invasion and the rate of dispersion in order to better comprehend its bioinvasion processes (Darrigran, 2002;Darrigran and Damborenea, 2005;Boltovskoy et al, 2006). Given the likelihood that L. fortunei will eventually invade North America and Europe, such studies may have global significance (Ricciardi, 1998;Darrigran and Pastorino, 2004;Darrigran et al, 2007;Karatayev et al, 2007a;Oliveira et al, 2010aOliveira et al, , 2011.…”

Structure and density population of the invasive mollusc Limnoperna fortunei associated with Eichhornia crassipes in lakes of the Middle Paraná floodplain

“…Since its introduction in South America in 1991, this mollusc has spread widely in the Río de la Plata Basin, also reaching several other minor watersheds (Mar Chiquita, Guaíba, Tramandaí, and Patos-Mirim (Oliveira et al, 2014). At present its distribution includes Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil (Boltovskoy et al, 2006;Oliveira et al, 2006;Darrigran et al, 2012).…”

“…Among these, of particular importance are early sexual maturation, high fertility, planktonic larvae, broad ranges of environmental tolerance, the epifaunal way of life, and the local absence of competing epifaunal, sessile organisms (Darrigran, 2002;Boltovskoy et al, 2006;Karatayev et al, 2007). Limnoperna fortunei attaches to a wide variety of substrates, both natural (trunks, rocks, aquatic plants and other organisms, and compacted siltsand), and artificial (such as piers, filters, tubes, and walls) (Darrigran, 2002;Karatayev et al, 2007;Rojas Molina and Williner, 2013).…”