Giant Chinese mollusks have been discovered in the Sverdlovsk water bodies.

      The director of the Federal Research Center for Comprehensive Study of the Arctic of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FICCA) Ivan Bolotov told TASS that the giant bivalve mollusks Sinanodonta woodiana and Sinanodonta lauta have expanded their range in Russian water bodies. Their presence has been noted, including in the Sverdlovsk region.

      — The spread of sinanodonts is active: we are encountering new populations in different regions. They are currently developing in the territories of the Moscow and Sverdlovsk regions, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Chuvashia, Perm Krai, Altai Krai, and other regions of Russia. We have traced a trend: from heated artificial water bodies, where the waters of thermal power plants are discharged, the invasive mollusks are moving to natural water bodies, — TASS quotes the specialist.

      Sinanodonta woodiana originates from the Yangtze River basin, while Sinanodonta lauta comes from a Chinese tributary of the Amur, the Songhua River. The mollusks were introduced to Russia with fish stocking material from Kazakhstan, where they had previously arrived from China. Under favorable conditions, the mollusks can grow up to 25 centimeters in diameter, significantly exceeding the size of local species. This process may lead to species replacement, a decrease in biodiversity, disruption of food webs, and loss of ecosystem stability.