Cultivation of the threatened freshwater mussel unio crassus philipsson, 1788 (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in the çine creek, aydın, Turkey

The freshwater mussel Unio crassus Philipsson, 1788 is an endangered species, which is under protection in many countries. We explored opportunity for aquaculture, growth performance, survival rates and environmental preferences of U. crassus in three different groups during a period of 15 months in the Çine Creek, Aydın, Turkey. Based on our results, the maximum growth of shell length and total weight were 10.21 mm and 9.01 g, respectively, in smaller-sized groups. For all groups, there was an increase in total length in spring when the water temperature was between 17.5 and 22.5°C. However, the growth rate decreased in autumn and winter. We recorded survival rates between 96 and 97% and no significant differences among groups. This is the first study on U. crassus in the Çine Creek, which, as a result, is considered as a suitable area for effective cultivation and gaining higher survival rates for this mussel due to its suitable environmental parameters. © 2018 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. All Rights Reserved.