Exotic freshwater mollusks in Chile

Abstract

THE EXOTIC FRESHWATER MOLLUSK SPECIES WE REPORT HERE WERE COLLECTED IN WETLANDS, COMMERCIAL AQUARIUMS, OR WERE GIVEN TO US BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO INTERCEPTED SOME EXOTIC SPECIES AT CUSTOMS OFFICES. OTHER RECORDS CAME FROM THE SPECIALIZED LITERATURE. THESE SPECIES ARE POMACEA BRIDGESII; HELOBIA SP.; THIARA (MELANOIDES) TUBERCULATA; MELANOIDES MACULATA; PHYSA SP., PHYSELLA VENUSTULA AND BIOMPHALARIA SP. IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW MELANOIDES MACULATA, FOUND IN THE RÍO LLUTA, REACHED CHILE. THE EXOTIC SPECIES COLLECTED COULD EXPAND THEIR RANGES IN CHILEAN TERRITORY GIVEN GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE OR THE RISES IN TEMPERATURE PRODUCED IN THE CHILEAN COASTAL AREAS BY THE OCEANOGRAPHIC EL NIÑO EVENTS. ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT ARE THE SUBTROPICAL MOLLUSK SPECIES WHICH ARE INTERMEDIATE HOSTS/VECTORS OF ANIMAL-BORNE PARASITIC DISEASES. THE MAIN ROUTE OF INTRODUCTION FOR THESE EXOTIC FRESHWATER SPECIES OF MOLLUSKS HAS BEEN COMMERCIAL TRADE, ESTHER AS A VOLUNTARY OR A DELIBERATE ACTIVITY, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE INCREASE IN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN PACIFIC. IT IS NECESSARY TO GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE ABOUT EXOTIC SPECIES TO EVALUATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR BECOMING ESTABLISHED AND TO COMPILE BASIC INFORMATION TO BE APPLIED FOR BIO-SECURITY PURPOSES IN THE FUTURE.