Journal Article

How was France invaded? 170 years of colonisation of metropolitan France by freshwater mussels

Prié, Vincent

2025

Overview

The introduction of freshwater mussels in France was unintentional and relatively recent. Two species were introduced in the second half of the nineteenth century, and a further eight after World War II. This note summarises the available information on introduced freshwater bivalves in France, focusing on the main pathways and vectors of dispersal, based on the data provided by the French National Database (INPN) and environmental DNA data. The introductions were either by sea (mainly for brackish water species, but also for Asiatic Clams), or by the European river system and its canals connecting the Danube to the Rhine (Dreissenidae, Sphaeriidae). A third mean of introduction was the transport of fish, for the Chinese pound mussel, which first established in southern France. Canals connect the major French basins (Rhine, Rhône, Seine, Loire and Garonne) and the route of dispersal of introduced species through natural hydrosystems and canals can be traced by looking at their progression, decade by decade. Fish transport within France is probably an important dispersal vector for the Chinese pound mussel, as occasional introductions appear to have contributed to its spread in the north-east and west of France. The use of the eDNA was an effective tool in completing the species distribution maps.

• Publisher: Springer International Publishing,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Animal behavior / Asian clam / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Brackish water / Canals / Clams / Decades / Dispersal / Dreissenidae / Ecology / Environmental DNA / Fish / France / Fresh water / Freshwater / Freshwater & Marine Ecology / Freshwater molluscs / Freshwater organisms / Geographical distribution / Inland water environment / Introduced species / Invasive Freshwater Molluscs / Life Sciences / Mollusks / Mussels / rivers / species / Sphaeriidae / Vectors / Zoology