Established but not spreading: the tropical invasive snail Melanoides tuberculata in a geothermally warmed channel in temperate Southern Pampas

SEUFFERT, ME; TAMBURI, NE; SAVEANU, L; MALDONADO, MA, MANARA, E, GUROVICH, FM, TIECHER, MJ; BURELA, S; MARTIN PR

ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS.

ACAD BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS

Año: 2021

0001-3765

Melanoides tuberculata is a freshwater snail native to Old World tropical areas but hasinvaded tropical and subtropical regions around the world. In Argentina, populationsestablished in natural environments were reported from northeastern tropical provinces.Here we report for the first time the presence of M. tuberculata in a geothermally warmedchannel in temperate Southern Pampas. We mapped its distribution in the channel, searchedfor its presence in five nearby basins, estimated the risk of establishment and expansion inArgentina with distribution models and analyzed shape variation through geometricmorphometrics. Melanoides tuberculata was recorded exclusively in the channel in siteswith temperatures between 20 and 40ºC, with almost no overlap with other snails. Noevidence of M. tuberculata was found in nearby basins. The distribution model predictedthat only northernmost areas from Argentina are suitable for this species, where it couldimpact snail communities and food webs if introduction through the aquarium trade is notprevented. The absence of male s indicates parthenogenetic reproduction and probably arecent invasion. Shell shape variation in this population, 15 % of which is attributable toallometry, encompasses the shapes of specimens from other South American populations,suggesting that all belong to the same lineage.