UNIONID MUSSELS DWELLING IN TURKEY’S FRESHWATERS: STUDIES AND IMPORTANCE OF UNIONID MUSSELS Özgen YILMAZ a , Murat BARLAS a a Faculty of Science, Mugla Sitki Kocman University Mugla, Turkey ozgenylmz@gmail.com Objective: Within the recent review, the outputs of studies carried out about the unionid mussels which are inhabiting Turkey’s freshwaters and very important elements of inland water ecosystems, were briefly referred, and their importance was emphasized. Methods: Contents of the sciencific articles and thesis researched and found on internet were examined. During the scanning, studies published by Tubitak and uploaded to National Thesis Center of Council of Higher Education as well as the studies published by foreign journals were considered. According to the results of scanning, 19 studies were found and a brief review was prepared about ecological role of these organisms belonging to family Unionidae in our inland waters. Results and Discussion: Studies found during the literature scanning were classified as faunistic, toxicological, biochemical, microbiological, ecological and parasitological. Richness of the study areas is giving a clue about the importance of unionid mussels. Species mentioned are Unio crassus, Unio pictorum, Unio elongatulus, Unio stevenianus, Unio terminalis, Anodonta cygnea, Anodonta anatina, Anodonta palustris gravida, Potomida littoralis. Outputs of the studies about these organisms which also have indicator properties depict the important ecological role of unionid mussels. Managing a better understanding for the biology of these organisms, which are helping to detect the hidden factors treatening inland waters (ie. Heavy metal pollution) and have key role in ecological cycle, is only possible by new researches. Keywords: Unionidae, Tubitak, Council of Higher Education, ecology. ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION Family Unionidae includes around 1000 taxa worldwide. Unionid mussels occur in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Indonesian Archipelago. These mussels prefer streams and lakes but maybe due to lack of proper fish host to transport glochidia or nutrients they are not found in high mountain lakes (1). In high densities, they have the ability to influence the water clarity (2). In Turkey, where is rich of inland waters, mussels species of this family have important roles at managing the health of streams and lakes with many ecological benefits. Inland waters must be considered as live systems with every element they comprise. Appreciating the importance and function of every single component that constitutes this whole is being tangible by outputs of scientific studies. To this end, a list of studies carried out on the unionid mussels of Turkey was given and outputs of these studies were summarized. 2. METHODS Basic sources of unionid mussel studies in Turkey were determined as Tübitak, National Thesis Center of Council of Higher Education and other foreign journals. Studies found on these databases were carried out by efforts of 14 local universities between 2000 and 2013. Noted mussel species in these studies are Unio crassus, Unio pictorum, Unio elongatulus, Unio stevenianus, Unio terminalis, Anodonta cygnea, Anodonta anatina, Anodonta palustris gravida, Potomida littoralis. Studies were grouped as faunistic, toxicologic, biochemical, microbiological, ecological and parsitologically according to the way they consider unionid mussels. A2. Articles • Van Gölü’nden Toplanan Midye (Unio stevenianus Krynicki) Örneklerindeki Ağır Metal Düzeyleri – Ankara University, Yuzuncu Yil University; 2000 (6). Accumulation levels of various heavy metals were dealt with at the basis of the tissues of this mussel species. • Çıldır Gölü Tatlısu Midyelerinin Populasyon Parametrelerinin Tespiti ve Ekonomik Olarak Değerlendirme İmkanları – Central Fisheries Research Institute; 2003 (7). Economical availability of Anodonta cygnea was considered. • Tatlı Su Midyesinden (Unio elongatulus eucirrus Bourguignat, 1860) izole Edilen Salmonella’ların Polimeraz Zincir Reaksiyonu (PZR) ile identifikasyonu – Firat University; 2003 (8). Salmonella species which should not be found in the meat of mussels as mentioned by 1380 numbered Fisheries Law were determined and consumption of these mussels were found harmful for human health. • Gavur Gölü (Kahramanmaraş)’nde Yaşamış Olan Unio pictorum (L., 1758)’un Bazı Biyolojik Özellikleri – Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University; 2004 (9). It was mentioned that after Lake Gavur was dried Unio pictorum species dwelling in here were completely declined. In the study, biological findings were emphasised as well as ecological and economical loss. • Kuş Gölü (Bandırma) Makrobentik Omurgasız Faunası Hakkında Bir Ön Araştırma – Ege University; 2005 (10). Anodonta palustris gravida and Unio crassus species were recorded as the elements of macrobenthic fauna of Kuş Lake. • Durusu (Terkos) Gölü Çapak Balıkları (Abramis brama Linnaeus, 1758)’nın Metazoan Parazitleri – Marmara University; 2006 (11). It was estimated that the glochidia found on the gills of Abramis brama specimens were belonging to one of 2 mussels species (Unio pictorum ve Anodonta cygnea) living in Lake Durusu. • The Levels Of Indicator and Pathogen Bacteria in Mollusk Unio Pictorum (Linnaeus 1758) and Surface Water – Istanbul University; 2007 (12). According to the results of the study, Unio pictorum has kept more Escherichia coli and pathogen bacteria than surrounding water and it was suggested that this situation was related with indicator and accumulation properites of organism. • The Mollusk Fauna of Lake Sapanca (Turkey: Marmara) and Some Physico-Chemical Parameters of Their Abundance – Istanbul University, Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi; 2007 (13). It was mentioned that Anodonta cygnea and Unio pictorum were among the common species of Lake Sapanca. • Growth and Flesh Yield of the Swan Mussel [Anodonta cygnea (Linnaeus, 1758)] (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in Lake Çıldır (Kars, Turkey) – Central Fisheries Research Institute, Karadeniz Technical University; 2009 (14). Growth information of Anodonta cygnea was considered. • The Proximate Composition and Fatty Acid Profiles of Edible Parts of Two Freshwater Mussels – University of Mustafa Kemal; 2010 (15). According to the results of biochemical studies, nutritional importance of Unio terminalis and Potomida littoralis was emphasized. • A comparison of the fatty acid composition of the phospholipid and neutral lipid of Unio elongatulus (Bourguignat, 1860) (Bivalvia: Unionidae) mussels from 4 different localities in southeastern Anatolia, Turkey – Dicle University; 2011 (16). Study called attention to chemotaxonomical species identification and pointed dominant fatty acids out. • An investigation on the distribution of mollusc fauna of lake terkos related with some environmental parameters – Istanbul University; 2012 (17). Molluca fauna of Lake Terkos was brought to light and relation of species with abiotic parameters was shown. • Contribution to the knowledge on distribution of freshwater mollusc species of İzmir (Turkey) – Ege University, Kastamonu University; 2012 (18). Together with the determined species, stational occurence of Unio crassus was shown. According to the findings, only from one station this species was recorded. • Aşağı Sakarya Nehri (Karasu) Mollusca Türleri ve Onları Etkileyen Bazı Fizikokimyasallar – Istanbul University; 2013 (19). Relation of stational occurence of Unio sp. ve Anodonta sp. with their biology was recorded. • The ecology of freshwater bivalves in the Lake Sapanca basin, Turkey – Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Istanbul University, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, University of St. Andrews; 2013 (20). Environmental variables, Bivalvia fauna, and age, growth, lenght-weight relationship and mortality were determined for Unio crassus, U. pictorum, Anodonta anatina, A. cygnea ve A. woodiana. • The Reproductive Cycle of Potomida littoralis (Cuvier, 1798) (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in Lake Gölbaşi, Turkey – Mustafa Kemal University; 2013 (21). Reproductive cycle, sex ratio, condition index and gonadosomatic index were assesed for Potomida littoralis. B. DISCUSSION Because unionid mussels are appropriate experiment organisms and have indicator properties, they are the invertabrates which present comprehensive information about the health of inland waters. As almost every benthic macroinvertebrate species do, unionid mussels help material transportation between benthic and pelagic zones and so they sustain material cycle which is essential for inland waters. Also, because they are filter- feeder organisms, they accumulate some materials (especially heavy metals) which may reach high amounts in inland water ecosystems and hereby it becomes possible to monitor the organic and inorganic material budgets of inland waters by scientific studies. According to the results of this compilation study, many unionid mussels has become subject of various studies or considered at the basis of scope. As they are biological, ecological and economical elements of inland waters, for better understanding of these precious organisms formation of multidisciplinary work groups is urgent in Turkey. The database which is going to grow by the time will be an important source at determination of inland water policies. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4. REFERENCES (1) http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Unionidae/ (2) http://eol.org/pages/2274/hierarchy_entries/24914777/overview (3) Fındık, Ö., 2006. Aslantaş Baraj Gölü (Osmaniye) Bentik Faunası, Cukurova University. (4) Birol, N., 2007. Dipsiz-Çine Çayı (Muğla-Aydın)’nın Bentik Makroomurgasızlarının Belirlenmesi, Mugla Sitki Kocman University. (5) Yılmaz, Ö., 2011. Dipsiz-Çine Çayı (Muğla, Aydın)’ndan Alınan Su, Sediment ve Unio crassus (Bivalvia: Unionidae) Örneklerinde Ağır Metal Miktarlarının Araştırılması, Mugla Sitki Kocman University. (6) Yarsan, E., Bilgili, A. and Türel, İ. 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(21) Şereflişan, H., Çek, Ş. and Şereflişan, M. The Reproductive Cycle of Potomida littoralis (Cuvier, 1798) (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in Lake Gölbaşi, Turkey. Pakistan J. Zool. 2013, 45(5): 1311-1319. A. RESULTS A1. Thesis • Aslantaş Baraj Gölü (Osmaniye) Bentik Faunası – Cukurova University; 2006 (3). Unio crassus ve Dreissena polymorpha species were found in coastal area. • Dipsiz-Çine Çayı (Muğla-Aydın)’nın Bentik Makro- omurgasızlarının Belirlenmesi – Mugla Sitki Kocman University; 2007 (4). Unio crassus is one of the benthic macroinvertebrate species in the content of the study. • Dipsiz-Çine Çayı (Muğla, Aydın)’ndan Alınan Su, Sediment ve Unio crassus (Bivalvia: Unionidae) Örneklerinde Ağır Metal Miktarlarının Araştırılması – Mugla Sitki Kocman University; 2011 (5). This study is about Unio crassus, member of family Unionidae, which has indicator properties. To determine the heavy metal content of stream and because of its other biological aspects this organism was focused on.