Bull 245 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Jihad and Abed Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2024) 18 (1): 245-251. https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2024.18.1.0245 SHORT COMMNUCATION MOLLUSCAN SPECIES IN AL-DALMAJ MARSH, IRAQ: A FIELD SURVEY Hiba Mohammed Jihad ⃰ and Intisar F. Abed ⃰ ⃰ *Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. **Department of Biology, College of Education for Pure Science-Ibn Al-Haitham, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. Corresponding author: hiba.muhammad@nhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq Received: 17 Sept. 2023, Revised: 27 Dec. 2023, Accepted: 29 Dec. 2023, Published: 20 June 2024 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ABSTRACT Al-Dalmaj marsh is one of the most important marshes in Iraq; it extends from Al- Qadisiyah Province in the west to Wasit Province in the east, south of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. In order to study the malacological diversity of this site, a survey of the marsh molluscs species was made during this study. About 177 specimens were collected, seven species of gastropods belonging to six families and two species of Bivalves belonging to one family were identified, remarks on the nomenclature, taxonomy and distribution of these species. According to this study Al-Dalmaj Marsh includes diverse molluscs species and the presented results will provide important information for future studies concerned with the molluscs or Invertebrates biodiversity state of this important ecosystem in Iraq. Key words: Bivalvia, Distribution, Gastropoda, Hor, Iraq. INTRODUCTION The Iraqi Al-Dalmaj Marsh (locally named Hor Al-Dalmaj) is located between the two provinces of Al-Qadisiyah (west) and Wasit (east), in the southern basin of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, with about 682 km² total area, at a distance of 170 km from Baghdad (Abd AL-Khenifsawy and Al-Mayli, 2022). Al-Dalmaj Marsh is characterized by diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitat, and its water is classified as brackish duo to its salinity concentration which is between 3.33– 5.7 ppt (Kadhum et al., 2018). A previous study concerned with the diversity of molluscs in this marsh was conducted by Al-Jasimee and Hussein (2023) and it highlighted the occurrence of several gastropods and bivalves. The in interest of a biodiversity study of the marshes is great because of the importance of this water environment in Iraq, and because a few studies have been concerned with the malacofauna biodiversity of this ecosystem. This study aimed to study the existing mollusca in this region. Specimens collection: The southern part of the marsh in Al-Diwaniyah City was chosen for the mollusc biodiversity study (Map1). From this part, the specimens were collected by the use of appropriate sieves, for the period between September 2022 and April 2023, at a depth of less than 1 m, then they were preserved in an alcohol solution with a concentration of 70% BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Iraq Natural History Research Center & Museum, University of Baghdad https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home Copyright © Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum Online ISSN: 2311-9799, Print ISSN: 1017-8678 https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2024.18.1.0245 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4330-9350 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9530-6894 mailto:*hiba.muhammad@nhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home 246 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus 18 (1): 245-251. Molluscan species in Al-Dalmaj Marsh Corresponding author: *yusra.yassen@uobasrah.edu.iq (Forsyth, 1999). The shell measurements have been taken, and the morphological characteristics of the specimen shells were examined by a stereoscopic microscope for the purpose of identification. The species were identified by identification keys (Rogers and Thorp, 2019; Jihad, 2021). For the purpose of standardizing and correcting the scientific names, and the taxon names were checked by Molluscabase (2023). The map was designed by using ArcGIS software. The studied species and discussion: The results from the survey revealed nine species of molluscs, of which seven were gastropods and two were bivalves, all belonging to seven different families. Table (1): The molluscan species, synonyms, material examined and distribution. Distribution N o . o f sp ec im en s ex a m in ed Species synonyms Classification Western Africa and Nile (Odlera et al., 2013) Iran, India and Myanmar (Budha et al., 2010 ) 10 12 Bellamya bellamya Jousseaum, 1886 B. gracilior (E. von Martens, 1903) Cyclostoma unicolor Olivier, 1804 Vivipara unicolor (Olivier, 1804) Paludina bengalensis Lamarck, 1822 Vivipara bengalensis (Lamarck, 1822) Viviparus bengalensis (Lamarck, 1822) Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda 1-Order: Architaenioglossa A-Family: Viviparidae Bellamya unicolor (Olivier, 1804) (Pl.1A) Filopaludina bengalensis (Lamarck, 1822) (Pl.1B) 28 B-Family: Lymnaeidae Lymnaea sp. (Pl.1C) Distributed in the Near East, except the Arabian Peninsula (Amr et al., 2014). 15 Neritina euphratica Mousson, 1874 Neritina mesopotamica Mousson, 1874 2-Order: Cycloneritida Family: Neritidae Theodoxus jordani (Sowerby I, 1836)(Pl.1D) Eastern Mediterranean, southeast Asia, Malaysia and India, eastern Africa (Jihad and Makawi, 2022). 50 Thiara tuberculata (O.F.Müller, 1774) Nerita tuberculata O.F.Müller, 1774 Melania javanica Brot, 1877 3-Order: Caenogastropoda A-Family: Thiaridae Melanoides tuberculata (O. F. Müller, 1774)(Pl.1E) Syria, Lebanon, turkey, Jordan (Heller and Sivan, 2002), Iran, Iraq (Glöer and Pešić, 2012), Palaearctic 18 Buccinum praemorsum L., 1758 · B. praerosum L., 1767 · Melanopsis praerosa (Linnaeus, 1767) B-Family: Melanopsidae Melanopsis praemorsa (Linnaeus, 1758)(Pl.1F) mailto:yusra.yassen@uobasrah.edu.iq https://www.gbif.org/species/4362965 https://www.gbif.org/species/4362965 247 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Jihad and Abed Region (Rogers and Thorp, 2019). Widely distributed in many countries of Europe, Asia, Australia and Hawaii (Paraense and Pointier, 2003), South Africa (Kock and Wolmaranas, 2007) 25 Aplecta orbignyi Mazé,1883 A. rivalis (Maton and Rackett, 1807) · Aplexa rivalis (Maton and Rackett, 1807) Bulinus acutus (Draparnaud, 1805) 4-Superorder : Hygrophila Family: Physidae Genus: Physella Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805)(Pl.1G) Eastern Asia, South and North America, Europe(Crespo et al., 2015) Oriental Africa and northwest Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East (Korniushin, 2004) 17 3 Corbicula andersoniana G. Nevill, 1877 C. aquilina Heude, 1880 C. astronomica Heude, 1880 Corbicula aegyptiaca Germain, 1906 C. alba Clessin, 1877 C. artini Pallary, 1902 C. cor (Lamarck, 1818( Class: Bivalvia Order: Veneridae Family: Cyrenidae Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller, 1774)(Pl.1H) Corbicula fluminalis (O. F. Müller, 1774)(Pl.1I) The malacofauna of the Iraqi marshes generally, and particularly that of Al- Dalmaj Marsh, has attracted little attention. In this study, we collected and provided information about the mollusc diversity of this area. The current results showed the presence of different species of molluscs including seven of gastropods and two of bivalves; Melanoides tuberculata was the most abundant species. The results of this study enhancing our knowledge of Al-Dalmaj malacofauna. Map (1): Shows selected site of study area on Al-Dalmaj Marsh. 248 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus 18 (1): 245-251. Molluscan species in Al-Dalmaj Marsh Corresponding author: *yusra.yassen@uobasrah.edu.iq Plate(1): (A) Bellamya unicolor, (B) Filopaludina bengalensis, (C) Lymnaea sp., (D) Theodoxus jordani, (E) Melanoides tuberculate, (F) Melanopsis praemorsa, (G) Physa acuta, (H) Corbicula fluminea, (I) Corbicula fluminalis. [Scale 2 mm]. CONCLUSIONS It is obvious that the Al-Dalmaj area represents one of the most important Iraqi wetlands with considerable biological diversity. According to the current study, Melanoides tuberculate was the dominant species, and this result agrees with the findings of (Al-Jasimee and Hussein, mailto:yusra.yassen@uobasrah.edu.iq 249 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Jihad and Abed 2023). Whereas the studies concerned in this ecosystem are not adequate, moreover, the present study did not cover all regions of the marsh, so more studies must be made in the marsh to obtaining the overall biodiversity state of the marsh. CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. We "the authors" have followed and signed the scientific research ethics announced by the journal. LITERATURE CITED Abd AL-Khenifsawy, R. H. and Al-Mayli, H. M. 2022. Detection of internal and external parasites of some common fish species from Al-Dalmaj Marsh/Iraq. International Journal of Entomology Research, 7(8): 37-47. [ ResearchGate] Amr, Z., Alnasarat, H. and Neubert, E. 2014. Notes on the current and past freshwater snail fauna of Jordan. Jordan Journal of Natural History, 1: 83- 115. [ResearchGate] Budha, P.B., Dutta, J. and Daniel, B.A. 2010. Bellamya bengalensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010. [CrossRef] Crespo, D., Dolbeth, M., Leston, S., Sousa, R. and Pardal, M. Â. 2015. Distribution of Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) in the invaded range: a geographic approach with notes on species traits variability. Biological Invasions, 17 (7): 2087-2101. [CrossRef] De Kock, K. N., and Wolmarans, C. T. 2007. Distribution and habitats of the alien invader freshwater snail Physa acuta in South Africa. Water SA, 33(5): 717-722. [ResearchGate] Forsyth, R.G. 1999. Terrestrial gastropods of the Columbia Basin, British Columbia. living landscapes. Royal British Columbia Museum, 133pp. Glöer, P. and Pešić, V. 2012. The freshwater snails (Gastropoda) of Iran, with descriptions of two new genera and eight new species. ZooKeys, 219:11- 16. [CrossRef] Heller, J. and Sivan, N. 2002. Melanopsis from the Pleistocene site of ’Ubeidiya, Jordan Valley: direct evidence of early hybridization (Gastropoda: Cerithioidea). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 75: 39-57. [CrossRef] Jihad, H. M. 2021. Morphological and molecular study of some molluscan species from different localities of Iraq. A M.Sc. thesis in Zoology, Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, 130pp. Jihad, H. M. and Makawi, Z. A. 2022. Review of the freshwater snail Melanoides tuberculata (OF Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda, Thiaridae). GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 20(1): 336-339. [Click here] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366385952_Detection_of_internal_and_external_parasites_of_some_common_fish_species_from_Al-_Dalmaj_Marsh_Iraq https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326450791 https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T166706A6265508.en http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-015-0862-y https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291023130_The_occurrence_and_distribution_of_Physa_acuta_Draparnaud_in_the_Republic_of_South_Africa_Wetenskaplike_Bydraes_van_die_Potchefstroomse_Universiteit_vir_Christelike_Hoer_Onderwys https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.219.3406 http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1095-8312.2002.00005.x https://gsconlinepress.com/journals/gscbps/sites/default/files/GSCBPS-2022-0303.pdf 250 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus 18 (1): 245-251. Molluscan species in Al-Dalmaj Marsh Corresponding author: *yusra.yassen@uobasrah.edu.iq Kadhum, S. A., Hussain, E. M., Ewaid, S. H. and Abed, S. A. 2018. A Study of some Environmental Characteristics in Hor Al-Dalmaj, Southern Iraq. International Conference on Promotion of Scientific and Regional Cooperation On Food and Agricultural Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, aug 24, 2018. [ResearchGate] Korniushin, A. V. 2004. A revision of some Asian and African freshwater clams assigned to Corbicula fluminalis (Müller, 1774) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Corbiculidae), with a review of anatomical characters and reproductive features based on museum collections. Hydrobiologia, 529(1):255-270. [ResearchGate] MolluscaBase . 2023. MolluscaBase. (Accessed on 2023-06-21). [Click here] Odlera, M., Dulíkováa, V. and Juřičkováb, L. 2013. Molluscs from the Stone and Mud-brick Tombs in Abusir (Egypt) and the Provenance of so-called “Nile- mud”. Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica: Nat ural Sciences in Archaeology, 4(1): 9-22. [CrossRef] Paraense, W. L. and Pointier, J. 2003. Physa acuta Draparnaud, 1805 (Gastropoda: Physidae): a Study of Topotypic Specimens. Memorias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 98(4):513- 517. [CrossRef] Rogers, D. C. and Thorp, J. H. (ed.). 2019. Phylum Mollusca. In: Rogers, D. C. and Thorp, J. H.(Ed). Keys to Palaearctic Fauna, Thorp and Covich’s Freshwater Invertebrates, 4tʰ edition, vol.4. Kansas Biological Survey and the Biodiversity Institute, USA, p. 189- 221. [CrossRef] mailto:yusra.yassen@uobasrah.edu.iq https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328065493 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278233224_A_revision_of_some_Asian_and_African_freshwater_clams_assigned_to_Corbicula_fluminalis_Muller_1774_Mollusca_Bivalvia_Corbiculidae_with_a_review_of_anatomical_characters_and_reproductive_features_based https://www.molluscabase.org/ http://dx.doi.org/10.24916/iansa.2013.1.1 http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0074-02762003000400016 https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-385024-9.00002-2 251 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Jihad and Abed Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2024) 18 (1): 245-251. أنواع الرخويات في هور الدمج، العراق: دراسة ميدانية **و انتصار فيصل عبد ⃰ هبه محمد جهاد .مركز بحوث ومتحف التاريخ الطبيعي, جامعة بغداد, بغداد, العراق⃰ جامعة بغداد, بغداد, -أبن الهيثم/ كلية التربية للعلوم الصرفة /**قسم علوم الحياة العراق. 20/6/2024، النشر: 29/12/2023القبول: ،27/12/2023املراجعة: ، 17/9/2023االستالم: الخالصة يعد هور الدملج من أهم األهوار في العراق, ويمتد من محافظة القادسية غربا إلى محافظة واسط شرقا, جنوب نهري دجلة والفرات. من أجل دراسة تنوع الرخويات لهذا 177مسح ألنواع رخويات األهوار خالل هذه الدراسة. جمعت حوالي اجري .املوقع املهم عينة, وتم تشخيص سبعة أنواع من بطنيات األقدام تنتمي إلى ست عائالت, كما تم لى عائلة واحدة, مع مالحظات حول تسمية نتمي إتحديد نوعين من ذوات الصدفتين ت وتصنيف وتوزيع هذه األنواع, وفقا لهذه الدراسة فإن هور الدملج يضم أنواعا مختلفة من أنواع الرخويات وستوفر النتائج املقدمة في هذه الدراسة معلومات هامة للدراسات ت في هذا النظام البيئي املستقبلية املتعلقة بحالة التنوع البيولوجي للرخويات والالفقاريا املهم في العراق.