English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Large freshwater mussels (Unionoida) are declining throughout the world. The European bitterling  (Bloch, 1782) female spawns its eggs inside the unionids’ shells, where fertilisation and further embryonic development take place; thus its reproduction depends fully on the presence of large freshwater mussels. , previously regarded as one of the most numerous unionids in Europe, is now listed in the IUCN Red Data List as being globally endangered. Despite its previous prevalence, it was never reported as a host for the bitterling. A large population of  was studied in small river at the Świętokrzyskie Mts (Poland), where also electrofishing was conducted. In each bitterling territory located on the study plots, we found individuals of  with the bitterling eggs or larvae developing on mussel’s gills. That proves that this species can be also used by the bitterling for reproduction. We suggest that this relationship has not been reported to date due to the mussels’ rarity and ongoing decline. However, it is also possible that the endangered mussel is a novel host for the bitterling, which is expanding its range throughout Europe.

The endangered thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus): a new host species for the European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus)