Distribution and spread of Limnoperna fortunei in China

Abstract

The native range of Limnoperna fortunei is the Pearl River basin in China. From there, the mussel was transferred by ships during the 1960s-1970s to the estuaries of the rivers in the Fujiang and Zhejiang regions and the Yangtze River. After 1980, its range expanded to the Huaihe, Yellow, and Haihe River basins. In 1980, L. fortunei was found in Tianjin, a city on the Bohai Sea in northern China, most probably introduced by coastal shipping activities. At present, golden mussels are present in the middle reaches of the Yellow River basin and even further north, around Beijing. Due to the highland topography in western China, dispersion of L. fortunei in this area will not take place without anthropogenic facilitation. Golden mussels might potentially colonize the Liao River basin and the Inland River basin in Northeast China if the water temperature increases due to climate change.