LIMNOPERNA FORTUNEI (DUNKER, 1857), THE GOLDEN MUSSEL AND CURRENT GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZIL

Abstract

The introduction of alien species into multiple aquatic ecosystems is considered one of the main reasons for global biodiversity loss. A common example of the insertion of exotic species is the movement of species promoted by ship's ballast water discharges, which is considered responsible for the introduction of Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857), the Golden Mussel, in South America. The study of the golden mussel is relevant to propose control measures, aiming at reducing environmental, social and economic impacts. Considering the current scenario, the objective of this article was to review the characteristics of the golden mussel and to evaluate the geographic distribution in the Hydrographic Basins of Brazil. A survey of publications in the databases of publications from 2002 to 2023 in English, Spanish, and Portuguese was carried out through the CAPES Portal, Scielo, and Google Scholar. Scientific documents that demonstrated an alternative for controlling the species were selected. The documents gathered were evaluated for their contribution. The golden mussel is a bivalve aquatic mollusk, with two symmetrical valves fitted dorsally. They are organisms that have gills, inhalant and exhaling siphon, foot and byssus. Brazil has twelve hydrographic basins, and in seven of them the presence of the animal has already been recorded. The authors present a systematic review and new map for the expansion of the golden mussel in Brazil.