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The Nonindigenous Occurrences section of the NAS species profiles has a new structure. The section is now dynamically updated from the NAS database to ensure that it contains the most current and accurate information. Occurrences are summarized in Table 1, alphabetically by state, with years of earliest and most recent observations, and the tally and names of drainages where the species was observed. The table contains hyperlinks to collections tables of specimens based on the states, years, and drainages selected. References to specimens that were not obtained through sighting reports and personal communications are found through the hyperlink in the Table 1 caption or through the individual specimens linked in the collections tables.

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Common name: Chinese pond mussel

Synonyms and Other Names: Anodonta woodiana

Taxonomy: available through www.itis.gov

Size: Reaching 30 cm (Pou-Rovira et al., 2009).

Native Range: Eastern Asia, primarily from the Amur and Yangtze rivers (Kraszewski and Zdanowski, 2007)

Alaska	Hawaii	Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands	Guam Saipan

Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) Explained
Interactive maps: Point Distribution Maps

Ecology: From slowly running rivers to eutrophic ponds (Welter Schultes, 2010). Commonly found in muddy sediment in the Czech Republic (Beran, 2008).

Means of Introduction: Most likely the mussels arrived as glochidia (larvae) attached to the gills of imported Invasive Carp (Beran, 2008). All carp species serve as hosts for the glochidia larval stage.

Status: The mussel did become established locally in several New Jersey fish ponds at a single site. In 2019 these ponds were treated and the mussel is believed to be eradicated. However, the status of a possible mussel population where shells were found in Wickecheoke Creek downstream of the fish ponds is unknown.

Impact of Introduction: No known studies have been found researching the impacts of this mussel in the United States.

Remarks: The New Jersey fish farm was purchased by the New Jersey Conservation Foundation for conservation purposes. All the fish, of which some were apparently bighead carp (Hypophthalmichys nobilis), an invader in itself, were eradicated with a rotenone treatment (J. Bowers-Altman, pers comm.).

This mussel has also been documented in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica (Watters, 1997). In Europe, it is the most widely introduced unionid mussel (Pou-Rovira et al., 2009). It was found first in Hungary in 1984. Since then, Sinanodonta woodiana has been found in at least 13 additional countries (Kraszewski and Zdanowski, 2007; Paunovic et al., 2006; Pou-Rovira et al., 2009), primarily associated with fish farms (Kraszewski and Zdanowski, 2007; Popa and Popa, 2006). In just 20 years, this mussel has spread throughout most of Romania (Popa et al., 2007) and is rapidly colonizing Italy (Cappelletti et al., 2009) and the Iberian Peninsula (Pou-Rovira et al., 2009).

References: (click for full references)

Beran, L. 2008. Expansion of Sinandonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in the Czech Republic. Aquatic Invasions 3(1): 91-94.

Cappelletti, C., S. Cianfanelli, M. E. Beltrami, and F. Ciutti. 2009. Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Bivalvia: Unionidae): a new non-indigenous species in Lake Garda (Italy). Aquatic Invasions 4(4): 685-688.

Kraszewski, A. and B. Zdanowski. 2007. Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Mollusca) - a new mussel species in Poland: occurence and habitat preferences in a heated lake system. Polish Journal of Ecology 55(2): 337-356.

Paunovic, M., B. Csanyi, V. Simic, B. Stojanovic, and P. Cakic. 2006. Distribution of Anodonta (Sinanondonta) woodiana (Lea, 1834) in inland waters of Serbia. Aquatic Invasions 1(3): 154-160.

Popa, O. P., B. S. Kelemen, D. Murariu, and L. O. Popa. 2007. New records of Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) from eastern Romania. Aquatic Invasions 2(3): 265-267.

Popa, O. and L. O. Popa. 2006. Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834), Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Muller, 1774), Dreissena bugensis (Andrusov, 1897) (Mollusca: Bivalvia): alien invasive species in Romanian fauna. Travaux du Museum National d'Histoire Naturalle 49: 7-12.

Pou-Rovira, Q., R. Araujo, D. Boix, M. Clavero, C. Feo., M. Ordeix, and L. Zamora. 2009. Presence of the alien Chinese pond mussel Anodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Bivalvia, Unionidae) in the Iberian Peninsula. Graellsia 65(1): 67-70.

Watters, G. T. 1997. A synthesis and review of the expanding range of the Asian freshwater mussel Anodonta woodiana (Bivalvia: Unionidae). Veliger 40: 152-156.

Welter Schultes, F. 2010. Species summary for Sinanodonta woodiana. AnimalBase http://www.animalbase.uni-goettingen.de/zooweb/servlet/AnimalBase/home/species?id=2919 Last accessed 9/28/2010.

Author: Benson, A.J.

This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.