First records of freshwater molluscs from the ecological reserve El Edén, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Abstract

THE DIVERSITY OF THE FRESHWATER MOLLUSCS AT EL EDÉN WAS UNKNOWN. THIS IS THE FIRST TREATMENT OF THEM, ALLOWING US TO COMPARE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SPECIES DISTRIBUTION. ELEVEN SPECIES OF FRESHWATER MOLLUSCS WERE FOUND IN 2 SURVEYS CARRIED IN MARCH (DRY SEASON) AND SEPTEMBER (RAINY SEASON) 1998 AT THE RESERVE EL EDÉN. A TOTAL OF 266 INDIVIDUALS WERE COLLECTED; 8 PULMONATES, MAYABINA SPICULATA, MEXINAUTA IMPLUVIATUS, PHYSA SP., BIOMPHALARIA HAVANENSIS, DREPANOTREMA LUCIDUM, DREPANOTREMA KERMATOIDES, PLANORBELLA (PIEROSOMA) TRIVOLVIS, AND PLANORBULA ARMIGERA; 2 PROSOBRANCHS, PYRGOPHORUS SP. AND POMACEA FL AGELLATA; AND ONE BIVALVE, MUSCULIUM TRANSVERSUM. PULMONATA DOMINATE OVER PROSOBRANCHIA SPECIES IN DIVERSITY. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN DIVERSITY BETWEEN DRY AND RAINY SEASONS. HOWEVER, SPECIES ABUNDANCE RECORDED IN BOTH SEASONS WAS VERY LOW, PROBABLY DUE TO A COMBINATION OF INADEQUATE FOOD RESOURCES AND DISADVANTAGEOUS CLIMATE (PERIODIC CONDITIONS OF DROUGHT AND FL OODING). FURTHER STUDIES USING A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT SAMPLING METHODS AND MORE FREQUENT SAMPLINGS ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM OR IDENTIFY THESE FACTORS. WE SUGGEST THAT FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD FOCUS ON CULTIVATION OF SPECIES WITH ECONOMIC POTENTIAL SUCH AS THE APPLE SNAIL POMACEA FLAGELLATA.