Freshwater gastropods in the Northern littoral mesoregion of Espirito Santo, Brazil/Gastropodes de agua doce da mesorregiao Litoral Norte do Espirito Santo, Brasil

• Published in: Acta scientiarum. Biological sciences 2017-07, Vol.39 (3), p.293
• Main Author: de Souza, Marco Antonio Andrade
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• ISSN: 1679-9283
• DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v39i3.34631

Studies on the distribution of molluscs in Brazil have been conducted since the beginning of the twentieth and the knowledge of the species distributed in the country represent important findings, which contribute to the understanding of human diseases and those of veterinary importance, transmitted by them. In order to verify the distribution of freshwater gastropods in Espirito Santo, a malacological surveywas carried out in nine municipalities that comprise the Northern mesoregion of the State, between January 2010 and February 2015. Initially the water collections occurring in the municipality were verified and the lotic systems at different levels of use and conservation were determined. Molluscs were collected monthly using a hand net adapted to a stick steel. An individual sample effort of 30 minutes was applied, by scanning, at about ten meters in each one of the selected habitats. A total of 6,000 specimens were collected, represented by genera Melanoides, Drepanotrema, Physa, Biomphalaria and Pomacea. Among the molluscs, some specimens were positive for flatworm larvae of medical and veterinary importance. The results contributed to the knowledge of the current distribution of freshwater gastropods in the Northern region of Espirito Santo whose the only record for the region dates back to 1983. Keywords: zoology, invertebrates, molluscs, habitats diversity, ecology. Estudos sobre a distribuicao de moluscos no Brasil vem sendo realizados desde os primordios do seculo XX e o conhecimento das especies distribuidas no pais representam achados importantissimos ao entendimento das doencas humanas e de importancia veterinaria. Com o objetivo de verificar a distribuicao dos gastropodes de agua doce no Espirito Santo, realizou-se um levantamento malacologico em nove municipios que compoem a mesorregiao Norte do Estado, entre janeiro de 2010 e fevereiro de 2015. Inicialmente, foi realizada uma verificacao das colecoes hidricas ocorrentes nos municipios e os sistemas loticos em diferentes niveis de utilizacao e conservacao foram determinados. Os moluscos foram coletados mensalmente, utilizando-se de uma rede de mao (puca), adaptada a um cabo de madeira. Foi aplicado um esforco amostral individual de 30 minutos, por varredura, em cerca de dez metros de extensao, em cada um dos habitats selecionados. Foram coletados 6.000 especimes de moluscos, representados pelos generos Melanoides, Drepanotrema, Physa, Biomphalaria e Pomacea. Alguns exemplares apresentaram-