At 08:28 PM 11/30/99 +0100, you wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I'm looking for information about the Genus of Pleurodonte in the Caribbean
>and about the possible occurrence of Unionidae on the Lesser Antilles
>especially Guadeloupe and St.Martin. Who can help me in this quest.
>Greetings Dennis Nieweg.
>

No native freshwater mussels occur in either island, although some occur in
Cuba and Trinidad (see Johnson, 1981, Occasional Papers on Mollusks 4(60)).
However, the Asian species Anodonta woodiana has been accidentally
introduced all over the world through the introduction of it's fish hosts -
many species of carp, tilapia, etc. If these islands have received these
fishes for aquaculture, they may have brought in woodiana as well.
Hatcheries in Panama or the Dominican Republic would be the nearest
culprits. Woodiana has been shown to escape from hatcheries and flourish in
the wild using native fish as "unnatural hosts."

Woodiana gets big - to 230 mm. It generally is quite round - like a plate,
although elongate morphs are common (more than one species actually may be
involved). It may be boldly rayed. It lacks hinge teeth. The beak sculpture
is composed of heavy, parallel ridges.

Since I first published on this invader (Veliger 40:152-156),  I have built
up a nice collection from people sending specimens to me for
identification. I can look at yours if you wish.






*****************************************
 G Thomas Watters, PhD
 Ohio Biological Survey &
 Aquatic Ecology Laboratory
 Ohio State University
 1315 Kinnear Road
 Columbus, OH 43212 USA
 v: 614-292-6170  f: 614-292-0181
******************************************

"The world is my oyster except for months with an 'R' in them" - Firesign
Theater

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he
has to buy a license" - GTW

"God knows everything - he's omnivorous" - Homer Simpson