Author(s): Oscar Wembo Ndeo, Victor Kangela, Floribert Mathe Saliki, Raphael Yende Grevisse and Alidor Kankonda

Abstract: The recognition of the Congo River as hotspot of biodiversity is mostly based on fish biodiversity and endemism, not for invertebrates in general. Considering both the role of molluscs as aquatic resource for riparian people and the expected threats by various factors, the knowledge of actual populations, their conservation status and their distribution in this region becomes an urgent necessity. We collected 1,425 specimens, belonging to 4 species of the genus Potadoma in remote areas of the Congo basin, partly in regions that have not been visited for 100 years for any mollusc sampling. Our survey showed the scarcity of molluscs in the river Aruwimi, the alarming outcomes of the IUCN assessment for Potadoma species and the consumption and business made with Potadoma species. A permanent monitoring system could allow better assessments of the impacts of temporal fluctuations and the conservations status of endemic gastropods of the Central Congo River.

Pages: 277-281  |  740 Views  66 Downloads

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