Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834)

Bogan, Arthur E., Al-Fanharawi, Ali Abdulhamza & Lopes-Lima, Manuel, 2021, First record of Sinanodonta woodiana and report for freshwater bivalves from Iraq (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 46, pp. 52-60 : 57

Sinanodonta woodiana in Iraq

The first collection of Sinanodonta woodiana from the freshwaters of Iraq was from the Hilla River, an eastern branch of the Euphrates River in Hilla City center, Babylon Province, approximately 100 km south of Baghdad, Iraq. The geographic coordinates for Hilla City are 32.4493°N, 44.4370°E ( Figs. 1a, b ; 2 ). Specimens were collected using a Van Veen grab sampler. Sinanodonta was also seen throughout the year and is still present during the last visit to Hilla River in July 2021. It was noted that Sinanodonta woodiana occurred with a density of approximately 10 animals per sq. m in the Hilla River. These specimens were collected by Dr. Ali Al- Fanharawi in March 2019. Two voucher specimens are housed in the collection of Dr. Al-Fanharawi at Al Muthanna University, Samawa, Iraq.

Sinanodonta woodiana can be distinguished from the native Anodonta vescoiana by having heavy parallel bars for umbo sculpture ( Fig. 1b ), while A. vescoiana has double-looped ridges, with nodules on the loops of the umbo sculpture.

Figures

Figure 1. Sinanodonta woodiana from Iraq. (a) Right valve of a live specimen with a total shell length 14 cm and shell height 8 cm. (b) Dorsal view of specimen with the umbo sculpture composed of parallel bars, characteristic of Sinanodonta woodiana. Total shell length was 14 cm. (Photos: Dr. Al- Fanharawi).

Figure 2. Map of the collection site and Hilla River.