Freshwater Mollusks of the Upper Reaches of the Konda River Basin (Western Siberia): Species Composition, Distribution Patterns and Insights on Their Phylogeography

Abstract

The taxonomic composition and zoogeographic characteristics of the malacofauna of the upper Konda River basin, a major left tributary of the Irtysh River within the taiga zone of Western Siberia, were identified. A total of 27 species of freshwater mollusks were recorded, including 19 bivalves and 8 gastropods. In terms of taxonomic structure and species composition, the malacofauna of the upper Konda differs significantly not only from most local freshwater mollusk faunas of Western Siberia but also from the middle reaches of the same river system. The greatest phylogeographic relationship between the populations of the studied species in the study area and populations from European Russia and Europe is demonstrated. Not all populations had similar haplotypes; in some cases, intrapopulation haplotypes differed significantly. The results of testing the a priori classification of water bodies based on the composition of malacocenoses indicate incomplete correspondence between them. Communities of floodplain water bodies and large lakes differed statistically significantly from all other water bodies and from each other. At the same time, malacocenoses of the main channel of the Konda River, its tributaries, and subordinate water bodies did not differ significantly from each other or from other water bodies.