First record and population structure of the invasive species Musculista senhousia (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in the Santa Gilla lagoon (south Sardinia).

ATZORI, GIULIA;PALMAS, FRANCESCO;VITTORI, STEFANIA;CABIDDU, SERENELLA

2013-01-01

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Abstract

Musculista senhousia (Benton 1842) is a small mytilid mussel, native to the Indopacific Ocean, and by now recorded worldwide. In this paper the presence of this species in the Santa Gilla lagoon (Sardinia, Cagliari) was reported. A total of 1442 specimens, with the greatest number in the station nearest to the freshwater sources, were collected. The abundance of the specimens collected in this lagoon seems to show that the population is already stabilized.