First citation of Margaritifera margaritifera (L.) (Bivalvia, Unionoida) at the Tajo basin (Spain)

[EN] Here we report the finding of a new population of the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera in the Iberian Peninsula. The population lives in the Alberche River in the province of Ávila, and is the first known population of this species in the Tajo basin. We have found 81 live spe...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Velasco Marcos, Juan Carlos, Araujo, Rafael, Balset, Javier, Toledo, Carlos, Machordom, Annie
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2006
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/45256
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/45256
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Margaritifera margaritifera
Distribución
España
Captura de ríos
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] Here we report the finding of a new population of the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera in the Iberian Peninsula. The population lives in the Alberche River in the province of Ávila, and is the first known population of this species in the Tajo basin. We have found 81 live specimens, all adults with lengths from 78 to 130 mm. One recently dead specimen measured 62 mm. The conservation status of this population is very similar to other known Iberian populations of the species, with large sized specimens and absence of recruitment. Analyses of the sequences of two different mitochondrial genes did not reveal genetic differences among the studied population and other Iberian populations of the species. The presence of M. margaritifera in a river belonging to the Tajo basin could be explained by a possible scenario of river catchment among tributaries of the Duero and Tajo basins